Spanish media defends Carlos Sainz amid controversy with Charles Leclerc in Barcelona GP. The Spanish press hits out at Charles Leclerc and Ferrari over controversy with Carlos Sainz in Spain.

The Spanish press wastes no time attacking (as always) Charles Leclerc and Scuderia Ferrari over the controversy with Carlos Sainz following the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

“Looking for excuses” is how Marca and the Spanish press described Charles Leclerc’s complaints against teammate Carlos Sainz after the contact at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix that involved the two Ferrari SF-24 cars. “Pointless and senseless maneuver,” Charles Leclerc thundered.

After the race in Barcelona, the Monegasque driver first opened up on the radio with his engineer Bryan Bozzi, then to the media, blaming Carlos Sainz for missing out on fourth place. For number 16, the initial maneuver was wasted and especially did not respect the Maranello team’s agreement not to strain the tires from the start.

“Probably without that contact that damaged my wing, I would have taken fourth position from Russell. But we need to talk and clarify,” Charles Leclerc said. Carlos Sainz’s reply was quick: “Honestly, I don’t understand what he’s complaining about, the space was there, I could do very little.”

But that’s not all: the Monegasque blamed the Spaniard for seeking glory during his home race weekend, at a crucial moment in his career. Perhaps that’s why the tones flared up more than necessary. This led to the attack from the Spanish press, which is no stranger to negative criticism towards Ferrari’s number 16.

“Charles Leclerc’s claims could also apply to himself when the situation is reversed and he is attacking his teammate. Because it’s true that in Maranello they have a very specific policy and often don’t let their drivers fight if there’s a risk of losing valuable points, but today it wasn’t like that.” This is Marca’s view.

“The journalistic archive indeed doesn’t help Charles, as he risked a podium in Monza in 2023 when he was about to overtake Carlos Sainz and many times didn’t follow the orders imposed by the Italian team,” concluded the Spanish newspaper. In short, once again, the controversy is more than heated.

Source: f1ingenerale