Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s time together as teammates may be over. But they forged a special bond during their four years as Ferrari partners — one that included respect for each other on the track, and heaps of banter off it.
In a Shell interview from 2022, Leclerc was asked to mention three things he liked about Sainz and his response included a genuine compliment, concerning complaints, and a conflicting revelation. Firstly, Leclerc gave the most simple and straightforward answer, stating that Sainz was a fast driver.
It seemed as though the compliments would roll on when Leclerc added that Sainz also cooks good pasta. But the Monegasque driver complained that he was never invited to his home over dinner.
To defend himself, Sainz replied that Leclerc was always too busy to turn up, something that had sparked rumors of a rift between the Ferrari stars. They had been teammates for over a year by that point. Surely a dinner together would have sufficed?
Of course, over the years, they proved those claims wrong. Even though rumors of an internal rift continued, Leclerc and Sainz both kept reiterating their friendship was as strong as ever.
Finally, Leclerc revealed that he liked the fact that Sainz was bad at chess. “A very poor player at chess, which makes me feel better whenever I play against him”, said the Monegasque. Sainz defended himself again, insisting that he beat Leclerc so often that they had stopped playing. Unsurprisingly, Leclerc didn’t agree.
Leclerc and Sainz’s moments of disagreements
Although they never went at each other’s throats in front of the media, with both drivers competing for wins and podiums in a car that was inconsistent at times, there were definitely moments of tension. For instance, at the 2024 Las Vegas GP, Sainz refused to let Leclerc pass even though the Monegasque seemed to be faster.
Sainz explained his reasoning by stating that Lewis Hamilton chasing them could have compromised Ferrari’s entire game plan. At the end of the race, Hamilton did end up passing both Ferrari drivers anyway and finished second, only behind teammate George Russell. Meanwhile, Sainz settled for third, with Leclerc finishing in fourth.
Sainz crashing into Leclerc after he mentions the manhole cover in Las Vegas ️
(via formulaleyla/TT) pic.twitter.com/lMA0FxJQ2r
— Autosport (@autosport) November 20, 2024
Leclerc was frustrated and also dropped the F-bomb on the radio — a very unusual reaction, which raised eyebrows around the paddock. But in just a matter of days, it was all fine.
Ahead of the Grand Prix weekend in Qatar, Leclerc said, “At the end, I don’t even need that. As I said, me and Carlos have a really good relationship and sometimes I overstep the line and sometimes he did.”
It was a testament to the respectful relationship they always shared. Even though the Spaniard left for Williams to make way for Hamilton, his and Leclerc’s bond will always remain.
