Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz insist that all is fine between them following Monegasque's Las Vegas outburst.

Clearly unhappy at being passed by his teammate, Leclerc launched an expletive-filled tirade at the team over the radio in the moments after the chequered flag fell.

Though the team had intended Leclerc to lead his teammate home, Sainz passed the Monegasque shortly after pitting, and held position until the end.

Speaking in Qatar today the pair were keen to play down talk of a rift between them.

"I don't want to go back to what happened in Vegas," Leclerc told reporters when asked about his outburst. "In the last two races of the season we need to do absolutely everything in order to get that constructors' championship. That's all that matters.

"Whatever happened in Vegas we discussed it and we are all good which is the most important thing," he added, stopping short of using the classic line dreamed up by an ad agency and made famous by the movie The Hangover. "I have no doubts about that because we've always had a really good relationship with Carlos and we've had races where sometimes things don't go exactly the way we want but the most important thing is that we discuss about it and we go forward.

"It's very clear for both of us that we just want to win the constructors' and it's by working as a team that we'll achieve that and I'm sure that there won't be any problems with it.

"I have a really good relationship with Carlos," he insisted. "Sometimes I have overstepped the lines and sometimes he did, and then it only requires discussion between us two. We look ourselves in the eye, and we've known each other for a very long time now, and we understand each other very, very quickly. So I have no doubts.

"Sometimes we need these kinds of things to reset a little bit, and I have no doubts that going into the last two races of the season there won't be any problems or whatsoever, because at the end it's a benefit for both of us to try and win the constructors'. We know that an opportunity like that doesn't happen very often, and we've got to do absolutely everything on both of our sides in order to try and win that."

"I fully agree," said Sainz. "It always happens with us. We go through some misunderstandings that in the heat of the moment we obviously are quite vocal about and we feel very frustrated about.

"After a couple of days have gone by and you can see everything with a bit more perspective, relativise everything a bit more and give yourself a bit of time to analyse things and to conclude what happens and you realise that when you talk through things you can actually understand them and put them behind.

"That's the exercise that we've been having to do for four years because we're always sharing the same piece of tarmac and we're always fighting each other on track because we're driving the same car and we are equally on pace and we've gone through this so often that we know how to talk and then move on from it."

Of course, Sky will be only too eager to stir the pot.

LATEST NEWS

more news >

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

Click to go to the main galleries section

READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by ian_w, 29/11/2024 6:54

"@kenji, I think it's more of the team making a mess of the order, and losing points the process.

I noted after the Mexico race, "As soon as Lando passed Charles on lap 62, Ferrari should have immediately made the call to box amd put new tires on." That would have given Charles the maximum opportunity to catch up and get points. Instead, the strategy team waited and it cost them.

Here, as Carlos has often done, he read this situation better from inside the car and called an audible. But the pit wall and strategy team shot him down or delayed. When he finally comes in, he is waived off because the team were not ready!! How can a driver call to box for 2 or 3 laps and then they are not ready when they call box, box? What if he suddenly had a flat and had to box? Your pit crew need to always be ready to go in 10-15 secs ( the lengthbof pit into your box).

And while I can't recall the circumstance earlier in the race, I think he (or Charles) asked for a call on plan A or C and the response was "give us 2 laps to decide"!

Their car is more than fast enough to win the constructors championship. It's the Ferrari strategy team and pit wall that needs to find more performance if they are to succeed. Classsic Ferrari, again.

At this point, it really does not matter who finishes in front of the other, as long as the pair are as close to the front as possible, maximizing tje ppints. And given this is Ferrari, where it's always been team first and drivers drive, the prior statement always applies.

Of all the teams, I think they are two teammates least likely to sabotage each other and negatively impact the team; always team first."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by kenji, 29/11/2024 1:10

"Another example of team orders making a mess."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

Ferrari pair play down talk of unrest

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

POST A COMMENT

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

Share this page