Carlos Sainz as world champion before Charles Leclerc: a possible scenario according to Marc Surer.
Despite the Spaniard’s impending departure from a top team like Ferrari—set to start the 2025 Formula One season aiming for the title—for a midfield team, the former Swiss driver believes the Madrid native has a better chance of winning the championship than his current teammate. This is because Carlos Sainz is more consistent overall with an imperfect car. The 2026 Formula 1 regulation changes, which will allow teams to start with a clean slate, could also enable less competitive teams like Williams, where Carlos Sainz is headed, to contend at the top.
“Sainz’s strength is that he can cope with a car that isn’t perfect; he can adapt and manage it,” Marc Surer said in an interview with the YouTube channel *Formel1.de*.
“If the car is good, Leclerc is incredibly fast. But only in that case—when the car does exactly what he wants. He’s often two or three tenths quicker than Sainz, and Carlos doesn’t know why.”
“The car has to do exactly what Leclerc wants, meaning it has to handle well. Moreover, he’s one of those drivers who needs a car with a sensitive front axle. If the car isn’t perfect, Sainz is faster.” – he pointed out.
“Hamilton is another of those drivers. If the car is right, he can beat Russell, but only then. The point is, Russell is always the faster of the two.”
According to Marc Surer, Carlos Sainz “will become world champion sooner or later because he can live with compromises and still remains extremely fast. Over the course of a season, these are the drivers to watch. Carlos is underrated because he has the ability to keep delivering results even when the car isn’t perfect.” – concluded the Swiss former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1979 to 1986.
