Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari Family Ties Killed Carlos Sainz’s Chances; According to Spanish Press

The Ferrari fraternity and the Tifosi have long been divided into the arguments of who’s the better driver between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. As the debate continues, the latest reports, according to the Spanish press further intensify the arguments.

Amid the driver struggles, the duo has been facing problems at Ferrari off late, and Sainz has been at the receiving end of most of them. Apart from the struggles in Monaco, the Spanish driver has also faced issues with the team strategy in the recently concluded Austrian GP.

Admittedly, Sainz was furious after he wanted to cover off Esteban Ocon of Alpine at the Principality, but his team’s concern was at Lewis Hamilton. In the end, he went on to finish the race in P8. The finish only added woes to the already wounded Sainz after repeated penalties.

The Spaniard was subjected to a harsh penalty in Australia for his shove on Alonso. Most recently in Austria, he was further given another time penalty, which jeopardized his overall standings. All in all, Sainz hasn’t been on the good side of time.

Charles Leclerc over Carlos Sainz for Ferrari?

No matter how many times the Prancing Horse clears the air of having an equal status for both of their drivers, questions have always been asked.

Admittedly, the race at Red Bull Ring saw Carlos Sainz wanting to switch places with Leclerc as he believed he had more pace. However, the team declined the move, citing track positions.

This not only visibly frustrated the 28-year-old, but also took away his chances of a podium finish. Now, days after the Austrian race concluded, reports say the Monegasque had an outside influence that prevented the move.

According to El Confidencial, the 25-year-old’s strength in the team is because of his strong ties with John Elkann, the president of Ferrari. His presence in the race meant a significant advantage for the Monegasque, along with a strong relationship with Vasseur.

Fred Vasseur’s relationship with Leclerc and justification of Austria

Frederic Vasseur arrived at Maranello after Ferrari parted ways with Mattia Binotto. Thus, the Frenchman’s arrival on the team meant an added impetus for the team.

Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur worked together at Sauber earlier before the Ferrari star moved out. Now, with both of them working together, few believe he is biased towards the younger driver in the team.

Vasseur, on the other hand, always focused on having equality between his drivers. But as questions were raised over his Spielberg call, he justified his actions.

The Ferrari boss revealed that he wanted the drivers not to attack themselves and swap places every two-four laps due to the presence of DRS. Vasseur also wanted the drivers to speed away from P4-P5, which wouldn’t have been possible if the drivers were fighting each other.