Charles Leclerc Left to Fend Off for Himself After Ferrari Denies Carlos Sainz’s Assistance at the Spanish GP

Charles Leclerc went through a disastrous qualifying session on Saturday that will see him start the 2023 Spanish GP from P19 on the grid. To add to his woes, his teammate Carlos Sainz, who starts P2, will not be helping him in any form whatsoever during the race.

Emotions in the Ferrari garage were fairly contrasting after the qualifying. While the team is happy about Sainz securing a front-row start in front of his home fans, Leclerc not making it out of Q1 was absolutely devastating. The problems he faced during the first session of qualifying were seemingly due to mechanical issues with the car.

What caused Leclerc to finish 19th on Saturday remains a mystery, but his onboard camera does show that he was struggling immensely. Even though he starts from the last row, the Ferrari has more than enough pace to find its way back into the points places. However, if and when it does, he won’t be getting any help from Sainz to maximize his points haul from this weekend.

Carlos Sainz doesn’t expect any team orders from Ferrari

Sainz starting P2 in front of his home fans provides him with a golden opportunity to fight for the podium this weekend. In fact, he is also aiming for a win as he said after the qualifying session yesterday, but is heavily dependent on Max Verstappen making a blunder, to turn that dream into reality.

While answering questions about whether or not he will help Leclerc, or whether Ferrari has asked him to, Sainz said no. Both drivers are starting on the opposite ends of the grid, so making plans about Sainz helping Leclerc doesn’t make sense before the race.

“I don’t and I don’t expect to have [team orders],” said Leclerc as quoted by Ferrari News. “Obviously we’re starting in very different positions and I hope that he can come back through the field as fast as possible.”

What to expect from Charles Leclerc?

Saturday was the first time Leclerc failed to make it to Q2 since 2019. It was his first Q1 exit with Ferrari, and the Tifosi was heartbroken to see the Monegasque suffer with yet more mechanical problems. Nevertheless, Leclerc won’t be giving up on the race.

The 25-year-old said in an interview with Sky Sports after his exit, “I don’t want to lower my head. Sure, starting 19th will be difficult, but it’s a race in which there will be a lot of tyre degradation. If we manage the race well, we will be able to get back in front.” 

Sainz meanwhile, will be hoping to get a good launch off the line, as the drivers race down the long straight down into turn 1. With luck on his side, he might be able to topple Verstappen to become the first non Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023.