In most intra-team battles this season, one driver has come off much better than the other. However, this is not true when it comes to Ferrari, as both their drivers are almost evenly matched. Thus, when McLaren’s Lando Norris found out the same, he couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised. However, his reply upon hearing the news might have increased tension within the Prancing Horse’s camp.
When it comes to McLaren, Norris leads his teammate, Oscar Piastri, by a healthy margin of 58 points. The Briton is in 7th place while his teammate has his feet planted in P9. Meanwhile, the battle between Sainz and Leclerc is much closer as Sainz sits in P5, 15 points ahead of his teammate in P6.
Lando Norris might have added fuel to the fire within the Ferrari camp
Given the sudden and incredible rise of McLaren in 2023, Norris has picked up a bunch of points in the last few races. As such, Norris has climbed the ranks in the driver’s standings and now stands only 20 points away from P6. After coming to know of the same, another surprise sprung onto him when he came to know Sainz was ahead of Leclerc in the driver’s standing. However, his response (as shown in the video uploaded on X by ‘Lando Norris Fans‘) might have struck the wrong nerve within the Ferrari setup.
“Carlos [Sainz] is ahead of Charles [Leclerc]? Interesting…”
Norris might have added more fuel to a fire that was already burning bright. Following the Italian GP, where both Ferrari drivers locked horns with each other to achieve a P3 finish, there has been a cold war-like situation within the team. Norris’ words might just have heated things enough to give us a replay of the ‘Battle of Italy’ once racing begins in Qatar.
What’s going on at Ferrari?
The debate for who the no. 1 driver at Ferrari has long been a hot topic for many F1 pundits and experts. While Leclerc would often win the argument, the past few races have seen a shift in opinion. Following back-to-back pole positions in qualifying and a subsequent race win in Singapore for Sainz, the Spaniard has now become a fan-favorite among the Tifosi.
🗣️ Ralf Schumacher: “Carlos Sainz has been the clear number 1 for Ferrari in 2023.”
👉 “Leclerc has to make him look at it, because it’s no use having eternal talent. He’s very fast, but, in the end, he doesn’t do it well.”
👉 “Charles wants to make a difference with all his… pic.twitter.com/0Dig595ZZh
— Patrick (@RacingStorki) October 4, 2023
Both drivers have been vocal about there being no issues between them and that the on-track antics were only to push each other to be better. However, experts believe there has been a significant shift in dynamics when it comes to the Ferrari drivers. Peter Windsor even mentioned Leclerc not being the same driver as before, as he looks a lot more “desperate” when out on the track.
