Former McLaren Driver Believes Carlos Sainz “Holds an Edge” Over Charles Leclerc at Ferrari

Over the last two races, not only has Carlos Sainz outqualified Max Verstappen, but he has also outperformed his teammate, Charles Leclerc. Following a famous win in Singapore, Sainz has sparked a debate over which driver has the edge in Ferrari. While the long-standing notion was that it was Leclerc, recent times have seen a shift in momentum in favor of the Spaniard. Even former McLaren driver Pedro de la Rosa admitted in Spotify’s F1 Nation podcast that he, too, believes that Sainz stands over Leclerc in Ferrari following his recent performances.

Currently placed sixth in the driver’s standings, Leclerc is only nineteen points behind his teammate in fifth. While Sainz has two podiums (including a win), Leclerc has three this season. Moreover, the Monegasque driver was in contention for the driver’s title last season before Ferrari suffered a slump. Thus, a case can be made for Leclerc still holding the edge over a recently improved Sainz.

Given the same, Rosa wonders which driver is Ferrari’s premier driver and claims it to be Sainz.

Pedro de la Rosa says Carlos Sainz is the superior driver in Ferrari

Appearing in Spotify’s F1 Nation Podcast, Pedro de la Rosa mentioned how evenly matched both Ferrari drivers are. While both of them have had their ups and downs, Rosa says Leclerc has had problems in controlling his car of late as opposed to Sainz, who has improved his driving with each passing race. As such, the former McLaren driver gave the edge to Sainz after being pushed for a definitive answer by host Tom Clarkson.

“I’m not pretending there’s a number one and number two. But just in terms of performance, Carlos has got the edge at the moment.”– Clarkson.

“Yeah, at the moment.”– Rosa.

Even though Rosa had to concede and agree Sainz was the better driver for now, he believes there might be a change in the dynamic soon.

According to him, Leclerc is only marginally behind Sainz, and the 25-year-old has often showcased his brilliance on the track, too.

Suzuka might not be successful for Ferrari

Speaking about Ferrari’s qualifying session in Singapore, Rosa mentioned Leclerc could have been the one to win the pole position. In the final lap of Q3, Leclerc was the fastest on the grid until the final sector, so it could have been either Ferraris to start from pole. However, the Spanish former driver cannot say the same for Suzuka.

 

O SF-23 ainda vai receber o seu último desenvolvimento, um pacote de atualizações, que pode chegar em Suzuka ou Losail. pic.twitter.com/NjpCxWNm4U

— Fan Page Scuderia Ferrari F1 | Ferrari AF Corse (@PortalFerrariBR) September 18, 2023

Talking about the team’s prospects for the upcoming Japan GP, Rosa said he didn’t know if Ferrari would enjoy their time on the track as much as they did in Italy and Singapore. He believes the cars that will have food downforce and be under the driver’s control when going into high-speed corners will be the ones to have a good outing in Suzuka. With the latest upgrades to their cars, Pedro de la Rosa believes it is tough to say how they will perform on a track completely different from the Marina Bay Street Circuit.