There have constantly been rumors over the past few months that Ferrari teammates Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc share a tense relationship. These rumors intensified after the Monegasque pushed the Spaniard to the limit at the Italian Grand Prix earlier this year while battling for third place. Following the conclusion of the race, Sainz’s mother liked posts that stated that Leclerc does not have “honor.” However, Sainz has now declined having any kind of a rift with Leclerc by providing an insight into his golf sessions with the 25-year-old and former McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
While Sainz has repeatedly dismissed rumors of a rift between him and Leclerc, so has the Monegasque. The 25-year-old once stated in an interview with Motorsports Italy that the two of them share a “competitive” relationship but do not share any ill feelings towards one another.
Sainz explains how he and Leclerc share a good camaraderie because of golf
In a recent interview with formu1a.uno, Carlos Sainz explained how he has developed a good camaraderie with Charles Leclerc because of their golf sessions. The Spaniard began his remarks by stating how the two often spend time together when they are in Maranello and have a good laugh when they do events and interviews together.
He then added that whenever they have time on their hands, they also call Lando Norris and other drivers to play golf. After stating the same, Sainz explained that while he and Leclerc have not fought for the title yet, he still believes that the battles they have had so far have been respectful.
“Charles and I often find ourselves close. We haven’t fought for the title, but for a third place in Monza or a pole, yes, and it wouldn’t be much different for a championship. We had 3 years to train and get to know each other, and we know the respect between us,” explained Sainz.
Since Sainz and Leclerc have not fought for the title yet, there could be a significant change in the way they approach each other when they reach that stage, as the Spaniard himself suggested in the interview. However, with Red Bull currently in a world of domination of their own, it seems unlikely that Ferrari will be able to pose a title challenge anytime soon.
Can Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc help Ferrari return to the top?
Even though Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have proven themselves as two outstanding drivers, it is the Ferrari car that has let them down. The SF-23 has been no match for Red Bull’s utterly dominant car this season, as the Prancing Horse have just managed one win all year as compared to the Milton Keynes outfit’s 15.
Newly crowned three-time champion Max Verstappen has been a class apart as he has won 13 races for Red Bull this year. On the other hand, Sergio Perez has won the other two for Red Bull, while Sainz has registered just one victory for Ferrari this season.
While Ferrari do have plans of closing the gap to Red Bull next season, they know that they have a tall order ahead of them. Until the Italian outfit do pose a title challenge, fans will never know if the tensions between Leclerc and Sainz will aggravate or not.
