Half two of our F1 crew mate head-to-heads sequence seems at how the Ferrari drivers measure up towards one another.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr have often been among the many most closely-matched crew mates on the grid since they first paired up at Ferrari in 2020. That continues to be the case in what might be their ultimate season collectively earlier than Sainz heads off to Williams.
In 2021, Sainz shocked by beating his established crew mate by five-and-a-half factors. Leclerc comfortably held the higher hand in 2022, when Sainz made a poor begin to the season. But it surely was nip-and-tuck final 12 months, Leclerc solely transferring forward of his crew mate when Sainz had a disastrous ultimate weekend in Abu Dhabi.
On the summer season break this 12 months, Sainz is forward by a single level, and may level to his absence from the Jeddah race resulting from appendicitis to elucidate why the hole isn’t any bigger. Leclerc would possibly reply by declaring the facility unit drawback which ruined his race in Canada.
Not not like the state of affairs at Mercedes, the motive force who trails on factors is forward on the important thing efficiency metrics, although Leclerc is much less decisively forward of his crew mate than George Russell is his. It serves to underline Frederic Vasseur’s level that letting Sainz go when Lewis Hamilton got here calling was no straightforward resolution, and that Williams have achieved a coup by securing his companies for subsequent season.
A key power of Sainz’s stays his potential to remain calm throughout quickly altering circumstances, patiently assess the state of affairs and never be rushed right into a hasty tyre name. Because the Silverstone spherical demonstrated, this can be a trait Leclerc would do properly to study from his crew mate, earlier than he goes up towards the would possibly of Lewis Hamilton subsequent 12 months.
It has taken Sainz all the first a part of the season to type out his plans for subsequent 12 months. He has admitted it has been a distraction at instances, however now that’s behind him he can spend his ultimate 10 races as a Ferrari driver guaranteeing he goes out on a excessive. This might be a scrap to savour over the remainder of the 12 months, particularly if Ferrari resolve the issues with their SF-24 and get in competition for wins once more.
Leclerc vs Sainz: Season abstract
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Leclerc vs Sainz: Race-by-race
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Unfavorable worth: Leclerc was quicker; Constructive worth: Sainz Jnr was quicker
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