The Las Vegas evening sparkled with loads of drama in the course of the penultimate spherical of the 2024 championship. The sparks from the automobiles on the Strip’s asphalt have been undoubtedly fascinating, however the ones ignited inside Ferrari have been equally intense. These stemmed from an alleged violation of group orders by Carlos Sainz, which left Charles Leclerc fuming. The tensions have been doubtless exacerbated by Ferrari’s disappointing weekend: the SF-24 struggled considerably, with poor tire efficiency and low temperatures. In consequence, the group was outpaced by Mercedes and needed to accept third and fourth locations, although they did handle to cut back their hole to McLaren within the constructors’ standings.
The battle for the rostrum introduced Ferrari’s two drivers into battle. Charles Leclerc, at the very least based mostly on the data obtainable, appeared extra compliant with group orders, whereas Carlos Sainz, it appears, violated an settlement by overtaking Charles, infuriating the Monegasque driver. Staff radio exchanges have been heated, each on the second pit cease and after the race. Upon pitting for onerous tires, Charles Leclerc returned to the monitor reassured by the group that “Carlos has been advised to not overtake.” However actuality performed out in another way: Carlos Sainz, with hotter tires after a pit cease delayed resulting from unprepared mechanics, overtook Charles Leclerc on his out-lap and secured the rostrum. This escalation in stress culminated in post-race discussions, despite the fact that switching their positions wouldn’t have altered the ultimate consequence for Ferrari.
The tensions, fueled by particular person ambitions and never new to this pairing, ought to have been anticipated by Ferrari. The group, nevertheless, additionally bears some duty. It’s not onerous to see why Carlos Sainz would possibly ultimately act in his personal curiosity, notably after spending the 12 months because the group’s lame-duck driver, making approach for Lewis Hamilton. Carlos Sainz’s remedy—marked by the farce of a renewal on the finish of 2023, a scarcity of recognition for years of labor throughout robust occasions, and a compelled transfer to Williams—might not have sat nicely with the Spaniard. Going through the tip of his Ferrari journey, Sainz would possibly now be prioritizing his pursuits, even at the price of upsetting his teammate or stirring discontent throughout the group.
This obvious shift in Carlos Sainz’s method, or maybe only a sharpening of his ordinary fashion, was mentioned by Leo Turrini in his weblog *”Profondo Rosso.”* Leo Turrini touched briefly on the Las Vegas tensions however highlighted an intriguing angle: Ferrari, in its choice to welcome Hamilton, had to decide on between letting go of Carlos Sainz or Charles Leclerc. The selection fell on the Spaniard, reportedly resulting from sure behaviors that didn’t sit nicely with the corporate’s management.
“Am I siding with Sainz or Leclerc? […] Each Carlitos and Carletto have causes and faults, as I’ve defined. The group wasn’t harmed in Nevada. […] It was clear, nevertheless, that one Ferrari driver didn’t assist the opposite. That stated, […] I ask those that declare to be staunch Sainz supporters: don’t you marvel why the corporate, when selecting to wager on Hamilton, opted to maintain Leclerc over Sainz? Can’t you see that one thing concerning the Spaniard’s habits over time didn’t sit proper? […] This isn’t about whether or not signing Lewis was the appropriate name. […] However whoever introduced in Hamilton selected to drop Carlos over Charles.”
Whereas these tensions will quickly come to an finish, they increase important questions on Ferrari’s future and the concord of its 2025 driver lineup. If Leclerc has struggled this a lot with Sainz’s presence, how will he deal with coexisting with Lewis Hamilton, who surpasses him in each metric—from profession achievements to fame, charisma, and expertise?
“If Leclerc has suffered psychologically this a lot with Sainz, […] how will he address sharing the group with a legend like Lewis Hamilton? That’s the actual query. You would possibly suppose Lewis isn’t as dominant in qualifying anymore, however then he pulls off a race like Las Vegas…”
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