Charles Leclerc has just renewed with Ferrari, but his big dream still faces many obstacles, perhaps including Carlos Sainz himself.
“My dream of becoming world champion with Ferrari continues.” This is how Charles Leclerc announced his renewal with Maranello, hoping to achieve his lifelong goal. Now, however, it’s crucial to better understand what will happen to Carlos Sainz’s future.
Ferrari has already worked to try to challenge Red Bull in 2024 and has now made its choice for the coming years. The details of Charles Leclerc’s contract have not been revealed, but it seems that Maranello has decided to bet on the Monegasque for several seasons, in a sort of lifelong contract.
Often, when discussing Charles Leclerc’s dream, the first obstacle that comes to mind is Max Verstappen, who continues to dominate the competition with his Red Bull. Yet, the first enemy could be much closer, precisely within the same team.
Carlos Sainz’s presence has often been quite uncomfortable for Charles Leclerc. In 2023, the Spaniard was the only non-Red Bull driver to secure a victory, an achievement that eluded the Monegasque. Now, after choosing to commit to Ferrari for an indefinite period, number 16 must absolutely assert his superiority over teammate Carlos Sainz.
In Ferrari, they say that not having a clear number 1 driver has been a great strength, but some are beginning to believe that it may not be exactly so. Their very different driving styles, first and foremost, do not allow the engineers in Maranello to choose a well-defined direction for the structure of the car.
Moreover, Carlos Sainz is an uncomfortable driver to settle for a secondary role. But Ferrari now has to focus on one of the two. Charles Leclerc is already a symbol for Scuderia Ferrari and is destined to be one for a long time. The Monegasque grew up in the Ferrari Driver Academy, took his first steps in the world of motorsports thanks to Maranello, and has the DNA of the Prancing Horse deeply ingrained.
However, Charles Leclerc must find a way to assert his authority. First and foremost, during 2024, he must send a very clear message and no longer sow doubts among the Ferrari team. Avoiding silly mistakes and perhaps definitively establishing himself as the better driver than Carlos Sainz could mark the true turning point. But we’ll see.
Source: f1ingenerale
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