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“Penalty” for Carlos Sainz: Lando Norris Gaslights Charles Leclerc’s Nervy Duel With Ferrari Teammate at Monza

Somin Bhattacharjee
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“Penalty” for Carlos Sainz: Lando Norris Gaslights Charles Leclerc’s Nervy Duel With Ferrari Teammate at Monza

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had a few nervy moments towards the end of the 2023 Italian GP while dueling for third place. After the race, when Leclerc was reliving those final tense moments, McLaren driver and Sainz’s close friend Lando Norris, decided to quip about the Spaniard getting a penalty for his driving.

Sainz was on top of his game throughout the race weekend in Monza. He was fast in free practice and transpired that pace into qualifying by getting the pole position. In the race, he held Max Verstappen off for 14 laps, which is more than what any non-Red Bull driver has been able to achieve so far this season.

Unfortunately, the Red Bull cars were too fast for his SF-23, and Sainz lost both P1 and P2. In the end, the race was about the Madrid-born driver staying in front of his teammate Leclerc. However, the Monegasque driver did not let it go without a fight. After a tense battle, Sainz prevailed, but Leclerc shed light on how difficult those final few laps were in the post-race interview on F1TV.

Lando Norris calls for Carlos Sainz penalty?

Sainz and Norris are incredibly close, despite not being teammates anymore. As a result, they still joke with each other, and as evident, about each other even when they aren’t together. In the post-race interview with F1TV, Leclerc was talking about his duel with Sainz in front of Norris.

The Monegasque driver stated that Sainz was moving a lot under braking, which made things very difficult for him. Since moving under braking isn’t permitted in F1, Norris decided to jump in and simply say, “Penalty”.

Because of the nature of their relationship, Norris was surely joking about Sainz getting a penalty. For the 29-year-old, however, the Italian GP weekend was the best outing for him so far this season.

Dream weekend for Sainz; work to do for Ferrari

Sainz has had a very difficult 2023 season so far. Although he is ahead of Leclerc in the standings, he hasn’t found a high level of consistency with his performances. However, the Italian GP weekend will surely boost his confidence.

Standing on the Monza podium in front of thousands of Tifosi celebrating in front of him was surely a dream moment for the Spaniard. Looking back on the weekend as a whole, Ferrari have made progress, considering how their campaign has gone so far. They even jumped Aston Martin to take P3 in the Constructors’ Championship for now.

However, overall, they still have a lot of work to do before they can dream of winning races. This was evident as despite putting in his best shift, Carlos Sainz struggled to hold of Verstappen and Sergio Perez on Sunday.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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