Fred Vasseur on Ferrari teamwork: “In Singapore, we asked Charles to sacrifice himself for Carlos”. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur opens up on Charles Leclerc - Carlos Sainz teamwork.

Scuderia Ferrari’s driver lineup is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, on the current Formula One grid, which means that their relationship is inevitably not always smooth sailing. During races, in fact, there have been some skirmishes (which are quite natural, considering that regardless of statements, teammates are always each other’s primary rivals), but always within the bounds of fairness. In particular, Ferarri team principal Frederic Vasseur wanted to emphasize how Charles Leclerc has had no problem several times acting as a “wingman” for Carlos Sainz, favoring the Maranello team’s result over his own position in the standings and giving back to his teammate the advantage gained on Saturdays.

“Last year there were sparks between our drivers at Monza. In Singapore, we asked Charles to sacrifice himself for Carlos, and he did it, favoring teamwork. He started on the red tires and blocked those behind him. Since the beginning of the year, they have understood that they need to ally to maximize Ferrari’s results, and they are doing it very well, even though Carlos is in a difficult position. Charles Leclerc also listened to us in Australia, when we asked him not to attack, or in Japan, where he let Carlos Sainz pass,” the team principal explained in a recent interview for the French public radio channel France Inter.

“This kind of competition can happen at every level, even for 18th place. It is inevitable because in our sport, your teammate is the only person you have the same references with. Some performance also comes from emulation. For example, in 2023 after the summer break, Carlos was very strong, and this pushed Charles Leclerc to go faster, so much so that he secured 6 or 7 front rows in succession. This competition is necessary, and my job is to keep it within limits,” Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur concluded.

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