The first race of the 2024 season had a thrilling moment when both Ferrari cars went wheel to wheel on lap 11. At one point, the dramatic scene became so intense that it seemed like Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc might crash. However, nothing of that sort happened, and the team eventually achieved a respectable finish. Since then, the Spaniard is getting ready to get into more such fights rather than trying to prevent it from happening again.
Speaking on BBC’s F1 Chequered Flag podcast, after the race when Rosanna Tennant asked Carlos Sainz whether the fans would be seeing the ‘clean overtake’ with Charles Leclerc more frequently, he said, “It’s been like these [in] three years.”
“I think we’re seeing again another year. We’re always very close to each other on the track, starting always next to each other and overtaking each other. So yeah, it’s going to be like this for 24 races.”, said Sainz.
Indeed Ferrari remained the second-best team after Red Bull on the Sakhir track. Two factors allowed the SF24 to go faster. The first was Ferrari’s efforts of car overhaul to focus on better drivability and the second factor that facilitated their performance was less tire wear. Therefore, if Ferrari continues to improve their tire wear, they can be regular podium contenders or maybe win the odd Grand Prix.
However, from Carlos Sainz’s perspective, grabbing the podium becomes much more significant. This is because Leclerc has already signed a contract extension with Ferrari but Sainz still is auditioning for a race seat in 2025.
Is Carlos Sainz’s desperation to showcase his skills driving him rogue?
Throughout his time in Ferrari, Carlos Sainz has faced some difficulties with the team dynamic. Even though they may deny it, the Scuderia has more or less favored Charles Leclerc. This was again evident during the contract extension when Ferrari signed the Monegasque for a multi-year contract and replaced Sainz with Lewis Hamilton, thereby leaving him without a seat.
Now this fact can fuel the urgency in Sainz’s mind to showcase his performance and go rogue. A brief glimpse of it was observed in Bahrain, as Sainz got engaged with Leclerc in a wheel-to-wheel duel which he says was within his control. However, if this approach results in repeated collisions with Leclerc or other drivers, it can backfire on the Spaniard.
So to avoid this, Sainz needs to show that he can push his limits on the track while honoring his teammates and the team’s overall ambitions. Therefore, if the #55 driver displays the ability to work well in a team, Mercedes could look to sign him up.
The German manufacturers have long adopted the philosophy of “putting the team first.” Additionally, the team promotes ethics, which if Sainz attempts to instill in himself, he might see him directly swapped to Mercedes.
However, considering the Mercedes seat is one of the most sought-after seats in F1, the likelihood of it happening is less. Hence, as things stand, it would be intriguing to see what the future holds for Carlos Sainz and Mercedes.
