The Las Vegas night sparkled with plenty of drama during the penultimate round of the 2024 championship. The sparks from the cars on the Strip’s asphalt were undoubtedly captivating, but the ones ignited within Ferrari were equally intense. These stemmed from an alleged violation of team orders by Carlos Sainz, which left Charles Leclerc fuming. The tensions were likely exacerbated by Ferrari’s disappointing weekend: the SF-24 struggled significantly, with poor tire performance and low temperatures. As a result, the team was outpaced by Mercedes and had to settle for third and fourth places, though they did manage to reduce their gap to McLaren in the constructors’ standings.
The battle for the podium brought Ferrari’s two drivers into conflict. Charles Leclerc, at least based on the information available, appeared more compliant with team orders, while Carlos Sainz, it seems, violated an agreement by overtaking Charles, infuriating the Monegasque driver. Team radio exchanges were heated, both at the second pit stop and after the race. Upon pitting for hard tires, Charles Leclerc returned to the track reassured by the team that “Carlos has been told not to overtake.” But reality played out differently: Carlos Sainz, with warmer tires after a pit stop delayed due to unprepared mechanics, overtook Charles Leclerc on his out-lap and secured the podium. This escalation in tension culminated in post-race discussions, even though switching their positions wouldn’t have altered the final outcome for Ferrari.
The tensions, fueled by individual ambitions and not new to this pairing, should have been anticipated by Ferrari. The team, however, also bears some responsibility. It’s not hard to see why Carlos Sainz might eventually act in his own interest, particularly after spending the year as the team’s lame-duck driver, making way for Lewis Hamilton. Carlos Sainz’s treatment—marked by the farce of a renewal at the end of 2023, a lack of recognition for years of work during tough times, and a forced move to Williams—may not have sat well with the Spaniard. Facing the end of his Ferrari journey, Sainz might now be prioritizing his interests, even at the cost of upsetting his teammate or stirring discontent within the team.
This apparent shift in Carlos Sainz’s approach, or perhaps just a sharpening of his usual style, was discussed by Leo Turrini in his blog *”Profondo Rosso.”* Leo Turrini touched briefly on the Las Vegas tensions but highlighted an intriguing angle: Ferrari, in its decision to welcome Hamilton, had to choose between letting go of Carlos Sainz or Charles Leclerc. The choice fell on the Spaniard, reportedly due to certain behaviors that did not sit well with the company’s leadership.
“Am I siding with Sainz or Leclerc? […] Both Carlitos and Carletto have reasons and faults, as I’ve explained. The team wasn’t harmed in Nevada. […] It was clear, however, that one Ferrari driver didn’t help the other. That said, […] I ask those who claim to be staunch Sainz supporters: don’t you wonder why the company, when choosing to bet on Hamilton, opted to keep Leclerc over Sainz? Can’t you see that something about the Spaniard’s behavior over the years didn’t sit right? […] This isn’t about whether signing Lewis was the right call. […] But whoever brought in Hamilton chose to drop Carlos over Charles.”
While these tensions will soon come to an end, they raise significant questions about Ferrari’s future and the harmony of its 2025 driver lineup. If Leclerc has struggled this much with Sainz’s presence, how will he handle coexisting with Lewis Hamilton, who surpasses him in every metric—from career achievements to fame, charisma, and experience?
“If Leclerc has suffered psychologically this much with Sainz, […] how will he cope with sharing the team with a legend like Lewis Hamilton? That’s the real question. You might think Lewis isn’t as dominant in qualifying anymore, but then he pulls off a race like Las Vegas…”
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