Ferrari had two strong Formula 1 drivers during the last four years. Then Lewis Hamilton decided to wear the red suit and, as Carlos Sainz repeatedly pointed out during the last few months, the Prancing Horse could not say no to the most successful driver in Formula 1 history. Perhaps, and we emphasize perhaps, if the Spaniard had immediately signed the renewal without insisting on salary and driving status, the opportunity to sign the seven-time Formula 1 world champion might have slipped away. Who knows. Nevertheless, we know how things turned out, and the Spaniard is now part of the historic Italian team’s past. A few days ago, there was a nice gesture from the red team: a test at Fiorano with the F1-75, in which his father also participated.
It was a reward for Carlos Sainz’s loyalty, who, despite the fact that he “disobeyed” the instructions from briefings in certain circumstances, provoking Charles Leclerc’s furious anger on a few occasions, has always pushed hard behind the wheel of the Italian cars, supporting his Maranello teammate most of the times. Even Charles Leclerc peacefully acknowledged how much he had learned from the Spaniard. A working methodology that captivated the Monegasque driver. A significant admission of the facts. A dose of humility not everyone would have shown. For this too, credit is due to the former Alfa Romeo driver, who has undergone an impressive growth curve alongside the future Williams driver.
In the end, everyone is happy, even if Ferrari did not win the Constructors’ Championship in the 2024 Formula 1 season. It has now been 16 seasons since their last title in F1. It feels like a century has passed since the end of the 2008 campaign, when combining Felipe Massa’s and Kimi Raikkonen’s points, the Maranello team brought home the trophy dedicated to car manufacturers. Never mind, we say. They will try again next year, this time with an additional Lewis Hamilton on their side. The Briton arrives at Maranello with high expectations. He dreams big and wants to bring the title back to Italy to end this unbearable drought.
Naturally, he will have to “clash” with Charles Leclerc, who will certainly do everything to hinder the seven-time F1 world champion. A phenomenal pairing that must be managed in the best way. The scenario is different for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard will be driving a significantly weaker car. Charles Leclerc believes the Grove-based team will make significant progress with his former teammate and we can say we share the same belief. The technical expertise he brings from Ferrari will be very useful for Williams. There is not much else to add on the matter.
Carlos Sainz has hit the ground running in his new adventure. Some of the journalists and reporters which were present at the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island for the Abu Dhabi tests following the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season gathered some insights regarding the initial impressions of the historic British team on the Spaniard. They have exceeded the most optimistic expectations, it seems. In half a day, Carlos Sainz provided an endless series of suggestions and adjustments for the car. Insights that will be useful in shaping the vehicle that will line up for the 2025 season, despite the FW47 being in an advanced stage of design.
Carlos Sainz is a very precise driver and has generally always preferred a car with a very stable rear end. We saw this clearly during his four years at Ferrari, where the Spaniard chose a setup that could stabilize the rear, allowing him to feel more comfortable managing the front end. This is somewhat the opposite of Charles Leclerc, who is undoubtedly more inclined to sacrifice a bit of rear downforce to gain something in top speed. Carlos Sainz is also very skilled at understanding how to get the best out of the car.
In fact, on more than one occasion, the Monegasque driver adopted Carlos Sainz’s setup for a specific race weekend after testing solutions on track that did not yield the desired success. The two worked together at Ferrari, and, as team principal Frederic Vasseur himself recently stated, they were extremely interested in each other’s work approach. There are two main reasons for this. The first is easy to interpret, as no driver likes being beaten by someone sharing the same garage. The second concerns the ability to gather information and advantages to use for oneself over the race weekend.
This approach is not a bad thing, as such behavior fundamentally drives an F1 team to improve. Of course, this is true as long as such attitudes do not create envy or tension that could derail the team’s primary goal. At this point, a question naturally arises: will the same dynamic work between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc? From what we know, it doesn’t seem so straightforward. The British driver is very cautious in this regard and does not favor sharing his feedback if it could help his teammate beat him.
We know that Ferrari places great emphasis on data sharing between its two drivers. It is considered a strength to improve performance. However, this remains an issue to be resolved, as the Briton will inevitably have to “adapt” to this practice for the Maranello team’s benefit. According to some sources, this topic has already been discussed with Lewis. Although he has shown some openness to sharing his personal feedback, he would prefer to set certain boundaries to avoid making his teammate’s job too easy. An interesting issue that we will start to see unfold during the tests through on-board footage next year.
— see video above —
Leave a Reply