Despite what the driver standings indicate, with Charles Leclerc ahead of his Maranello teammate by four points, Carlos Sainz’s start to the 2024 Formula 1 championship, in his final season with Scuderia Ferrari, has been notably solid. The Spaniard, despite missing the Jeddah race due to appendicitis and not being in optimal physical condition, secured a fantastic victory in Melbourne at the Albert Park circuit, once again placing ahead of the Monegasque in the last outing at the Suzuka circuit in Japan.
Charles Leclerc has particularly struggled in qualifying in the last two Grand Prix, usually a strong suit for the team, failing to “switch on” the tires in the decisive lap and compromising his chances of podium finishes on Sundays.
Interviewed by PlanetF1, Thierry Boutsen, former Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier, and Jordan driver, analyzed the performance difference between the two Ferrari drivers at the start of this season: “Sainz has driven very well, but the car has never been very good. If you look at the performances of the two drivers, they’ve had ups and downs. Sometimes Leclerc is ahead, other times it’s Sainz.” – he explained – “Leclerc has incredible speed in qualifying. When the car suits his speed, he produces magical races. When he arrived at Ferrari in his first year, winning at Spa and Monza, his driving was simply incredible.”
“I believe he needs that kind of car and environment to win consistently. Sainz finds himself in a different position; he has never dominated like Charles has. When he was with Vettel, he outperformed Vettel by far.” – Thierry Boutsen pointed out.
Contractual aspects are also significant, with Carlos Sainz, aware of leaving the Maranello team at the end of the year, surely able to express himself without too much pressure: “These two guys find themselves in very different situations, positions, and ambitions,” the Belgian continues – “One has signed the contract and therefore takes some time to think about the future and how to help the team and prepare for the future, while Sainz is there to do his best in the last races with Ferrari because he has no choice. The pressure is different. Their mentalities are different.”
Nevertheless, Thierry Boutsen believes that Charles Leclerc is still the driver to bet on for the future: “Personally, if I could choose, I would keep Charles. If you look at the person in the years they’ve been together, Charles has been faster than Carlos. Now the situation is different. They have a different way of looking to the future. I would definitely keep Charles, who has more speed, more potential for victory.” – the Belgian former racing driver concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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