As the season comes to an end, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz showcase their brilliance in Formula 1 and just why they deserve to be the strategists for the Ferrari team while also being the ones to drive the SF23 to greater results. Although the team could not get the P2 position and beat Mercedes even with just a 4-point gap, the two proved their genius many times.
However, as the season came to an end it was only fair to discuss which Ferrari driver is the smartest out of the two. Carlos Sainz showed one of the greatest moves in Formula 1, during the Singapore Grand Prix when the Spaniard used DRS as a way to hold back Lando Norris and both the Mercedes drivers from taking over both of them and bringing Ferrari their first race win, becoming the only team to have won a race other than Red Bull.
As for the Monegasque, it is no secret that although he has not been as consistent as his teammate, he has brought the team some major points and has finished in the top five positions during qualifications as much as Max Verstappen has. Nonetheless, he did not hesitate to show his strategy-making skills as he let Sergio Perez pass through at the Abu Dhabi GP in order to stop Mercedes from winning.
“the smartest?”
carlos: whos the smartest here?
charles: […] cmon raise your hand *laughs*
carlos: *raises his hand while laughing*— giorgia ⁵⁵ (@sopietv) November 23, 2023
While it did not go as he may have planned both the drivers showcase just how great they are. During an interview, the Ferrari drivers were asked about who was the smartest between them. While this question took both drivers aback, they both pushed each other to answer their own names. However, they ended the question with Carlos answering it was him while Charles agreed and laughed at it.
Charles Leclerc unleashes his genius during the end of the Abu Dhabi GP
While Charles Leclerc has not had one of the best seasons with his bad luck following him, he saw a front-row position start for the Abu Dhabi GB. He showcased the incredible way his mind works as he made up his very own strategy on the radio during the race.
While it is known that Ferrari has always messed up when it comes to strategies and has lost podium finishes which could have easily been dealt with if they had pulled off a good strategy. Nonetheless, Leclerc’s demeanor had completely changed as he was in no mood to joke around anymore. The driver decided to make his own strategy and get the team one last podium for the season.
Ferrari and Mercedes had been in a fight until the very last moment when Ferrari was only four points away from beating Mercedes. That itself was enough for Charles to fight George Russell and beat Mercedes to a P2 in the Constructors Championship. However, it did not go as he had planned and the Briton ended up clenching the podium and maintaining a 3-point gap between the two teams in the championship standings.
However, it was still very interesting to watch how Leclerc became tactical with his F1 outing as he let Sergio Perez pass, who had a penalty to pay off, in order to stop George Russell. The driver believed if he could just go ahead with a 5-second gap, even after paying a penalty he would be on the podium.
THIS from Charles Leclerc.
“Tell me the gap between Checo, and Russell. If it’s less than 5 seconds, I will give him slipstream and let him past. He has 5 seconds anyway.”
A moment of genius.
Simply WOW 👏🤯
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) November 26, 2023
Nevertheless, it soon went down the drain as Sergio Perez finished P4 and George Russell caught up and took points for the team. While Charles’s teammate has shown just how genius he is when it comes to strategies, Leclerc too had a few hidden talents that he showcased before he finished his 2023 season.