During the break between Losail and Jeddah, before the engines roar again for the final rush of the 2021 Formula 1 season, Scuderia Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto made important statements regarding Charles Lelcerc, effectively investing him with the role of leader for the next (who knows when, hopefully soon) “world champion campaign”.
The words of the Maranello team principal are all a praise for the great qualities behind the wheel of the Monegasque driver, from the speed on the single lap, to the ability to attack and defend in the race, to the management of the tires and the car. Then comparing Charles’ approach to that of Gilles Villeneuve for self-denial and generosity.
Splendid words, and also truthful: Charles Leclerc is a special talent as well as being able to give confidence to the Maranello team with his guidance, recalling in some ways the “Villeneuve fever”: not surprisingly more than once we have spoken about the “Leclerc fever”.
However, there is one side of the coin that should not be underestimated, namely the fact that in its path of ascent, Ferrari has not only relied on the “predestined” Monegasque driver, but also on the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, a driver who in his first year at Maranello is showing great potential. We have said it over and over again so we will summarize the concept briefly: Carlos Sainz is not spectacular, aggressive and perhaps not even as talented as Charles Leclerc, but he is a fast, methodical, consistent and a very sensitive driver from a technical point of view, capable of working like few others on the single-seater.
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Charles at the wheel makes fire and flames, Carlos is a consistent asset, who lap after lap wears out his opponents, with results thar are seen over the distance. The two complement each other, forming a great pair of drivers, but above all they have very similar performances.
This is why Mattia Binotto’s investiture in Charles Leclerc – “We have invested in him for the long term because we are fully convinced that he will be the man who will become the next world champion. If and when Ferrari produces a car capable of fighting for the title, Charles Leclerc will lead this campaign “- it doesn’t sound like the height of elegance towards Carlos Sainz. Also because it has always been said that even in the case of a competitive single-seater the drivers would start on an equal footing, and that the track would decide any hierarchies.
What has changed? Why did Mattia Binotto hurry to elect Charles Leclerc as captain? Why rush to anticipate future hierarchies in fact? Does Charles Leclerc perhaps need to feel “pampered” by the team? And does Carlos Sainz, increasingly at ease with the Maranello team, deserve to be relegated to second driver?
The feeling is that the Spaniard, in terms of work methodology and speed, still has the ability to get to equal Charles Lelcerc’s performance and challenge him in the 2022 Formula 1 season. Then maybe out of pure talent Charles Leclerc will find that extra speed that will allow him to to be right ahead of his teammate, but Carlos Sainz is earning the opportunity to also wear the captain’s armband on the track too. Let the lap times decide.
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