The start of 2023 wasn’t exactly textbook for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard struggled to get his bearings right with the SF-23. That being said, he turned his season around comprehensively in the races to come, especially after the summer break. His stellar run of form culminated at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix as he claimed Ferrari’s only win this year, all while being the man who finally ended Max Verstappen’s dominant streak. Yet, he feels like he’s been given the shorter end of the stick at Ferrari, per El Nacional.
As this year began, it was no secret that Ferrari weren’t going to be championship contenders. There was a lot of work to be done back at Maranello to get their 2023 challenger in shape. However, as Charles Leclerc consistently eked out the maximum from that package, Sainz looked lost and struggled.
💥 Ralf Schumacher: “Carlos Sainz ha sido el claro número 1 de Ferrari en 2023”.
👉 “Leclerc tiene que hacérselo mirar, porque no sirve de nada tener un eterno talento. Es muy rápido, pero, al final, no lo hace bien”.
👉 “Charles quiere marcar la diferencia con todas sus… pic.twitter.com/DzVeQae8hp
— Fórmula Directa (@FormulaDirecta) October 4, 2023
Now, after he’s proven to the entire world that he is as good as Leclerc, he feels the team still ignores him. This couldn’t have been helped by the rumors circulating around the paddock that the team has actively been pursuing Leclerc over the 29-year-old. Naturally, he’s seemingly had enough and could be pushing for a way out of the team once his contract is up next year.
Greener pastures await an overlooked Carlos Sainz
The number one destination that Sainz has been linked with is Audi. Reports have been buzzing in ever since Audi announced its entry in the sport for 2026. And with Sainz getting supposedly impatient with the treatment being dished out to him, it won’t be far-fetched to assume him linking up with the new entrants.
The report from El Nacional stated, “The Madrid driver feels ignored by Ferrari compared to Charles Leclerc. Sainz is achieving better results than the Monegasque. But he earns half as much. And race after race he sees how the team’s entire strategy focuses on improving Leclerc’s results, which has caused him to lose many points.”
It was close between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc on lap 1 😳
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) October 7, 2023
But there is one thing that the Spaniard has spelled out that will keep him with the Scuderia. Unfortunately, it isn’t one that is going to materialize as Sainz Jr. wants Leclerc out of the team.
A tricky dynamic between Charles Leclerc and Sainz Jr. at Ferrari
Off the track, the duo of Leclerc and Sainz have seemed pretty cordial, to say the least. But more often than not, the tensions and tempers have risen between the two on the track. Naturally, this dynamic has become a bit too complex for Ferrari to decode and deal with.
Sainz has tried to keep a happy front anyway. Every time the media tries to rile up the 1st driver-2nd driver debate, Sainz has seemingly tried to snub and ignore those baits for the sake of harmony within the team and his own inner peace.
Currently, the Spanish racing ace has a deal with the Scuderia that will see him to the end of 2024 in Maranello. With another $12,000,000 paycheck awaiting him next year, only time will tell if he will be a Ferrari driver in 2025 or not.
