Duels, especially between teammates, have written the most fascinating and dramatic pages in the history of Formula 1. It is a topic that divides and stimulates discussions, creating great interest.
It should come as no surprise that in a moment of significant transition hypotheses have arisen in the Maranello headquarters on what the management of the Charles Leclerc – Carlos Sainz tandem will be starting from 2023.
It should be noted that after two years of working together between Charles and Carlos there are no problems, their relationship can still be defined as ‘good’ considering that they share the same garage, without any split garages, contacts on the track and psychological war.
The respective contracts do not include a specific ‘status’, either first or second driver, and will not provide for it in the future. However, the departure of Mattia Binotto has led to the hypothesis that the new team principal (who will be announced at the beginning of 2023) will put Charles Leclerc at the center of the project, a concept that gives an idea, but remains vague when it comes to a concrete plan.
All Formula 1 teams have strategies prepared in view of particular scenarios, and among these there is that of having energies converge on a driver should he find himself fighting for an objective with a better situation in the standings than his teammate. The drivers know they have a lot to play for in the first part of the season, because that’s what determines the hierarchies inside the garage, but it’s a dynamic that has nothing to do with predefined statuses.
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Returning to the Ferrari case, in 2022 what Charles Leclerc lacked was this support. Despite a favorable position in the standings, in some cases the strategy proved to be a handicap for him which ended up favoring Carlos Sainz. It’s a very different scenario than that of a driver who puts his foot down claiming to be number one in the team, Charles Leclerc would have needed the right support for what he was already doing on the track, without help and without status.
The message of a Charles banging his fists on the table demanding first driver status is false, asking to be protected and not damaged as in some cases happened in 2022 is something else, there is a huge difference.
It is one thing to think of scenarios like Austria 2002, with Rubens Barrichello forced to brake at the finish line to let Michael Schumacher pass him, it is quite another to ask for support in races in which he is the leader (Monaco and Silverstone 2022, but also Singapore 2019) to then find himself behind his teammate due to questionable strategic choices.
Guaranteeing the two drivers a start to the season without hierarchies is in the interest of a team that needs to grow. The objectives and the standings will decide whether it will be necessary to prioritize, and Charles Leclerc is fine knowing he is playing it on the track. If the 2023 single-seater is confirmed to be globally competitive, the time will also come when efforts will be channeled in one direction.
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