Helmut Marko insists Ferrari will have Charles Leclerc as their number one driver ahead of Carlos Sainz for the 2022 season.
Sainz’s first season at Ferrari defied all expectations. Many expected him to struggle at a team with expectations as high as them, but he lived up to the challenge.
The 27-year old bagged four podiums and finished ahead of teammate Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship. As a result, many have picked him as a potential title contender for the 2022 season.
So far this year, Sainz has finished second and third in Bahrain and Jeddah respectively. Leclerc on the other hand, won the first race, followed by a P2 finish in Saudi Arabia.
Red Bull advisor Marko, feels that Leclerc now has the upper hand on Sainz. The Austrian team have always had their policy of fielding a ‘number 1’ driver, who is the one they expect to win them the Title.
At Ferrari however, team principal Mattia Binotto insists that both drivers are treated fairly. Before the start of the season, he stated that both Leclerc and Sainz will be freely allowed to race each other.
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Charles Leclerc has the upper hand on Carlos Sainz, says Helmut Marko
Sainz has struggled to match his partner’s pace so far this season. After the race in Jeddah, the Spaniard revealed that he was getting to terms with the F1-75, and is sure that he’ll catch up with Leclerc and Max Verstappen in the coming races.
Marko on the other hand feels that Ferrari will prioritize the Monegasque driver now. According to the 78-year old, he’s their best hope to win the World Title, so compromising his race for Sainz won’t make sense.
Marko has always been a big fan of Sainz, but has been critical of his performances so far this season. As a result, he says he does not expect much support from the Madrid born driver.
“We’re glad that we have Ferrari as opponents”, he said to Motorsport.com.
“Last year Sainz beat Leclerc, but this year Leclerc is in top form. That means we can’t expect any support from Sainz . So it will be a situation like ours, where there is a very clear number 1 driver.”
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