Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc pointed out that Red Bull’s use of team orders last weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona represented a clear statement of intent regarding their priorities for the 2022 Formula One season.
Mexican driver Sergio Perez was only 19 points behind his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, yet the team’s decision to prioritize the Dutchman during the race made it clear that Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen do not have equal status in their championship effort.
Sergio Perez was informed he needed to let his team mate past on two occasions during the Spanish Grand Prix. After the Barcelona event, the Mexican explained that Red Bull promised they would pay him back for helping Max Verstappen the first time. Yet when Sergio Perez caught his team mate again later in the race he spent several laps losing time behind Max Verstappen while asking the Red Bull pit wall why they would not allow him to pass. A few moments later, Sergio Perez was again forced to let Max Verstappen by again later in the race.
Max Verstappen comfortably won the Spanish Grand Prix and took the lead of the Formula 1 Driver Standings ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in second place. The Monegasque pointed out that “Red Bull made it clear what are their intentions and they did it very early in the season,” given the events at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Scuderia Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto confirmed several times in this start of the season that neither of their drivers are regarded as the ‘number one’. And Charles Leclerc admitted that he does not expect the Maranello team to use the same kind of team orders as Red Bull at this stage in the Formula 1 campaign: “I haven’t spoken about it with Mattia and I haven’t heard about anything of this for now,” he said.
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Carlos Sainz has not had the ideal start of the 2022 F1 championship and confirmed he is still struggling to adapt his driving style to the F1-75 car. Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, the Spanish driver is 39 points behind his Maranello team mate in the championship: “I think with Carlos it’s just a matter of time before he gets with us and that he gets more at ease with the car,” said Charles Leclerc, who added “I don’t want to rely on that [assistance from his team mate] either. I just want to do the job in the car and if we are strong enough, we have already shown that we can win races anyway. If we do a strong enough job then I’m pretty sure that the chances are there anyway.” – the Monegasque driver concluded.
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