Scuderia Ferrari confirmed that Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are still “free to fight” during Formula 1 events, especially because they are both very much aware of what benefits the Maranello team.
Carlos Sainz replaced Sebastian Vettel at the end of last season and his move to the Italian side cannot be regarded as anything other than a success. The Spanish driver has adapted quickly, has got along well with teammate Charles Leclerc and largely been on, or close to the Monegasque drivers’ race pace.
Carlos Sainz scored three podiums in 2021 and with a total of 139.5 points, he is only 8.5 behind Charles Leclerc in a very strong contribution which has put the Maranello team in a good position against McLaren for third place in the Constructors’ Championship ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend.
In the last couple of races, the duo have been close together on track and in Mexico, Charles Leclerc moved aside to let Carlos Sainz have a chance at passing Pierre Gasly until they swapped places again when the pursuit did not pay off. Last time out in Brazil, they battled each other on the opening lap and Charles Leclerc was able to make a move on the inside, holding the advantage to the end as they finished fifth and sixth, just a couple of seconds apart.
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Mattia Binotto, the Ferrari team principal, said he is happy to let the pair duel as they respect the boundaries of acceptability.
“It’s great to see them fighting on track. It was a good start in the first corners (in Sao Paulo). They have been very safe in making sure they don’t damage themselves, which is important for me and the team. The two drivers are really behaving very well and from my side, to manage it, it’s a lot easier when the drivers understand the team spirit. At the moment, I can only confirm those two guys really understand it very well. Our drivers are completely free to fight. I have always said the priority is the team and we will do whatever we can to maximise the team points. Apart from that, they are free to fight at the moment and hopefully in the future it will be so good they will be free to fight each single race.” – Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto concluded, ahead of the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix at the 5.38-kilometre Losail International Circuit .
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