While there might not have been any battles up front between the leading title contender Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez, there sure is a storm brewing within the Ferrari F1 team. The Maranello outfit was forced to cope with one of the most diabolical clashes between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc at the Italian Grand Prix, with both desperately wanting the final podium spot.
Shockingly enough, there were countless contacts between the pair throughout the race, but, somehow… somehow, neither of them succumbed to any damage. In the end, Sainz heaved a huge sigh of relief as he crossed the finish line to claim what was indeed a special P3 in front of the Tifosi. Meanwhile, Leclerc lauded the electrifying battle and acknowledged enjoying wheel-to-wheel racing with the fellow Spaniard.
Fred Vasseur sure enjoyed the little fight between Leclerc and Sainz…did you? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ejovzJpzaK
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) September 3, 2023
But, of course, the entire F1 community knows rivalries and friendships hardly go hand-in-hand. Hence, one can sense that the pair is probably an incident away from watching their camaraderie break into pieces. While we anticipate (not hope) the bitter twist in the tale, here’s a throwback to what was arguably Sainz and Leclerc’s most intense battle of all time.
There was quite a lot of nudging, and it all went haywire when Leclerc attempted a move on Sainz, who ended up dragging himself and his teammate off the track, almost emulating Max Verstappen’s moment with Lewis Hamilton in Sao Paulo, 2021.
The heated radio conversation between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc
It was the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the streets of Jeddah, and with the 2021 season inching towards a closure, most of the battles had the element of desperation and over-optimism. While Hamilton and Verstappen were locking horns up front, the two Ferrari drivers, Sainz and Leclerc, were caught up in a battle of their own.
With the Ferrari duo separated by a mere 8.5 points, the battle for P5 in the championship was on! Leclerc threw everything at Sainz, hoping for a way past the Spaniard, but, nothing worked out. Finally, the Monegasque found Sainz napping on the main straight and attempted a move around the outside of turn 1.
Context Sainz yesterday:
I’m not complaining about the fact that Sainz defends, that’s normal, but I have the impression that when Charles is behind, he tries by all means to push him off the track, and that’s what I reproach, but it doesn’t matter.
Hard but fair 😉 🇸🇬#F1 pic.twitter.com/0d34CMaKQE
— Charles Leclerc 16 Fan page 🇲🇨 (@Cl16__FanpageFr) September 4, 2023
However, Sainz moved all the way across the straight and cramped Leclerc. The first corner arrived, and neither Leclerc nor Sainz managed to get their cars under control on time, as both ran off the track and rejoined around the exit of turn 2. Interestingly though, Leclerc managed to jump ahead of his teammate by taking a shorter path to the track.
Hence, Sainz got on the radio right after and yelled, “C’mon Charles don’t do this! I passed him! Tell him to give me the position immediately, immediately guys. He’s gonna get the penalty if not.” While Leclerc held onto his position and gained two extra points over his teammate at Jeddah, Sainz went on to clinch an insane podium in Abu Dhabi, jumping both Leclerc and Lando Norris to finish P5 in the standings.