In Formula 1, as in all motorsports, there is saying that applies for most drivers, namely that your teammate is the first rival on track.
The importance of being the reference driver of a team is crucial, both for having the best strategic options during a race weekend and in key moments of the season, for directing the development of the single-seater in the best possible way – even if this aspect is clearly less incisive than a few decade ago.
Since Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been together at Ferrari, the two have established an excellent working relationship and in the two years together in Maranello they have equally divided the best position in the championship, with the Spanish who impressed in his first season with Ferrari (2021) and the Monegasque who was very strong last season.
The overall comparison between the two, however, undeniably leans towards Charles Leclerc, with 467 points to 410.5, three victories against one for the Spaniard, 11 pole positions to 2, with Carlos Sainz leading only the ranking for podium finishes, by 13 to 12.
Many hope that Scuderia Ferrari will decide to focus on a first and second driver, therefore to avoid arriving to the central stage of the 2023 Formula 1 championships with questions that could generate misunderstandings among their men. It’s enough to look back at what happened in the Sprint race for the Austrian GP in last championship.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
Cesare Fiorio, who covered the role of team principal at Maranello between 1989 and 1991, also expressed his opinion on the matter: “Charles Leclerc is absolutely amazing in qualifying, Carlos Sainz is very strong in the race: there is no need to establish hierarchies at the start, or at least I hope that is not going to be the case; then in the middle of the championship, with the positions stabilized, it’s time to decide who is the first driver and to put the second one to support whoever is ahead in the standings at that stage.” – the former Formula One sporting director explained.
For the Italian manager, the drivers must be available and work in the interest of the Maranello team with the aim of bringing the Prancing Horse back on track for race win in the 2023 Formula 1 season: “If Carlos Sainz were ahead with the possibility of becoming world champion, Charles Leclerc should work for the team and help him. They are professionals and know what the team needs” – concluded Cesare Fiorio in a recent interview for the Italian daily newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
Leave a Reply