Carlos Sainz has weighed in on the clash between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Italian Grand Prix. The former Ferrari driver revealed how he and Leclerc would sort their arguments and went on to remind the fellow racers of the extra responsibility when they are racing their teammate, especially at Monza. Notably, last week, both Ferrari drivers went wheel-to-wheel in the opening lap. While Hamilton tried to pass Leclerc around T1, Leclerc went on to defend his position and forced his teammate a wide, which eventually costed him several spots.
Needless to say, the incident quickly became a talking point amongst the F1 fraternity. Amidst all this, Sainz, who was Leclerc’s teammate from 2021 to 2024, recalled the arguments and disagreements he has had with his former teammate. He also stated that while battling at Monza, Ferrari drivers should look over the greater “responsibility” when battling the sister car.
Carlos Sainz Suggests Ferrari Racers to be Extra Responsible in Monza
“Well, I don’t think it’s like some people say that it’s none of my business,” Sainz was quoted as saying by RacingNews365. “But I can tell you that when you have two competitive teammates, these kinds of situations are always going to happen. Charles and I, always twice, two or three times a year, we always had a bit of a discussion or an argument, but after the race or the morning after, we would call each other and sort it out.”
“So, I think it’s normal when you’re fighting for podiums or wins in a competitive team, and there are situations in Turn 1 or situations in the race or with strategy. You always end up one day not being happy with the way it’s being handled, and the next day maybe you’ve been favoured.”
“But at Monza, you feel an extra level of responsibility of making sure you don’t touch the other guy in the other red car because it’s Monza.” “I think in general that’s the number one rule of motorsport or Formula 1, but maybe Ferrari at Monza means a bit more, and you have that in the back of your head for sure going into every battle,” he added.
