Charles Leclerc reflects on “different mood” with “motivated and happy” Carlos Sainz. Charles and Carlos reflect on their current partnership.

Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc admitted that the mood at the Maranello team has been “different” since Sebastian Vettel left the Italian side at the end of the 2020 Formula 1 season. Sebastian seemed to have an increasingly difficult relationship in his last season alongside Ferrari, with the Maranello team confirming that Carlos Sainz would join Ferrari for 2021, even before the 2020 season even started.

Since the arrival of Carlos Sainz, Ferrari have made some progress and are currently challenging McLaren for a place behind Red Bull and Mercedes in the standings. third in the Championship.

“It’s different,” Charles Leclerc told RTL on how Ferrari has changed since Sebastian Vettel’s exit – ““For Carlos, I still remember exactly how it feels [when you first arrive] and you can imagine how motivated and happy he is about everything. The mood has changed a bit in the team. I can’t tell what went wrong for Seb last year because he is a great guy who works very hard.” – Charles added.

Carlos Sainz also heaped praise on his predecessor, crediting Sebastian Vettel for helping him become the driver he is today.

“I have known Seb for many years and in my career, he has always been a point of reference for me,” the Spaniard told Italy’s Repubblica – “I spent endless hours in the simulator at Red Bull Racing while he was winning the World Championship and I learned a lot from his way of doing, both on and off the track. He is definitely one of the best drivers in the history of this sport and I will always consider him a role model to follow in many respects.”

But after Charles Leclerc led Ferrari largely alone last year, Carlos Sainz has been surprisingly more competitive against the highly-rated Monegasque, sitting just two points behind him in the overall standings: “This is Formula 1,” he said of the challenge against Charles Leclerc – “The 20 best drivers in the world are here and inevitably you will have to compete against them if you want to become world champion, even if they are teammates. It’s part of the game. If you are afraid of going against any driver, this sport is not for you.”