Ferrari for long has been accused of favoring Charles Leclerc over Carlos Sainz. A similar pattern was also recently seen when the Italian outfit extended Leclerc’s contract but not Sainz’s. With seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari in 2025, it was Sainz who the team let go. However, with the Spaniard now into the last year of his contract, he wants to end his partnership with Ferrari on a high. Sainz revealed that he wants to work alongside Leclerc to ensure that one of them shall be in a strong position to win the championship by the end of the 2024 season.
“I’ve always been a team player. Everything I’ve done in Formula 1 I think I’ve been a great team player. I’ve always been exemplary in that sense as a driver for any team. I will definitely help Charles if I have to, the same way that I expect Charles to help me if I fight for a World Championship myself too“, Sainz revealed (as quoted by planetf1.com).
Over the course of the 2023 season, several have often accused Ferrari of favoring Leclerc over Sainz. When pressed on the same last year, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur vehemently said that he has never favored anyone in his career.
He made it clear that both Sainz and Leclerc were “equal” at Ferrari. Instead, when asked this question, Vasseur interestingly revealed that only Red Bull has favorites. Similarly to Ferrari, several have often also questioned the Milton Keynes outfit for perhaps favoring Max Verstappen over Sergio Perez.
Irrespective of whether Ferrari has a preference or not, Sainz holds no grudges against the team.
Carlos Sainz is ready to help Ferrari in whatever way he can
In another interview, Carlos Sainz acknowledged that he was taken aback when Ferrari announced the signing of Lewis Hamilton for 2025. Once the signing was announced, the Spaniard knew that his days at the team were numbered.
However, instead of holding a grudge against the team for the same, Sainz is more motivated than ever. The 29-year-old revealed that he has just one goal for 2025, and that is to try his best to win the championship for Ferrari and the Tifosi.
While Sainz still hopes to deliver for Ferrari, his performances are likely to help his future prospects as well. The Spaniard is still on the lookout for a race seat in 2025 and will try his best to impress as many teams as he can this year.
With more than half the grid set to be without contracts at the end of 2024, a wild silly season is expected later this year. One possible option for Sainz is the seat at Mercedes, which Lewis Hamilton will vacate at the end of this year. Since the Silver Arrows are likely to look for an experienced driver, Sainz definitely has ample of it.
