‘This Is Why I Admire Him a Lot’ – Sainz on What Makes Ferrari’s Leclerc Special

Carlos Sainz had a very good relationship with Lando Norris at McLaren. Now, in his first year at Ferrari, he hopes to build a similar relationship with his new teammate, Charles Leclerc, at the Ferrari. In a recent interview, Carlos Sainz talked about his friendship with Leclerc and what makes the Monegasque so special.

Leclerc and Sainz have started spending more quality time together as teammates to help improve Ferrari’s performance this season. The Maranello outfit was the third-fastest car through qualifying, and both drivers secured a top-10 finish in the final race.

“His own story. He lost a friend, Jules Bianchi, then his father. He got even stronger by overcoming terrible dramas. This is why I admire him a lot, I have followed his entire career,” said the Spaniard.

ALSO – WATCH: Charles Leclerc Suffers a Scary Crash During the Italian Grand Prix

Bianchi would have achieved more than me, claims Charles Leclerc

Jules Bianchi, Leclerc’s mentor, and fellow Ferrari Academy driver was in his second Formula 1 season when he suffered from an unfortunate incident in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix that eventually led to his death nine months later.

Bianchi was on his way to become a Ferrari driver in the future and Leclerc believes that the French racing driver would have achieved more than him if he had lived.

“Jules had shown what he had to show in Formula 1, there was definitely a lot more to come. I think results like in Monaco when he was in Marussia told a lot more about his talents, so he definitely deserved the Ferrari seat even more than I did.”

“I’m pretty sure he would have shown probably even more than I do, he was extremely talented,” said the Monegasque.

Charles Leclerc had an impressive debut with Ferrari. However, last season was less than optimal for the Monegasque driver. He finished the Bahrain GP at the P6 position and showed a lot of promise for the 2021 season.

Do you believe Leclerc will drive his way to a top-five finish in the drivers standings this season? Let us know!