F1, Ferrari: Carlos Sainz candid about relationship with Charles Leclerc

The Spanish driver also spoke about the world prospects for the Reds

A victory, at Silverstone, and three pole positions: Carlos Sainz’s balance sheet in 2022, net of a few mishaps and some at least questionable strategies from the Ferrari team, can be considered positive. The Madrid native has shown with facts that he is an excellent teammate for Charles Leclerc, who should have contended for the drivers’ title with Max Verstappen until the last race.

Interviewed by ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport,’ the Iberian spoke about his relationship with the momegasque and beyond. “Tasting the joy of victory and being able to be the fastest of all in qualifying are really unique sensations. Now I want to feel the same emotions at every race. Winning gives you even more hunger,” he began.

“The relationship with Charles is solid. It would be normal to lose some of the personal relationship if we were fighting for the title. It’s natural for it to be that way, because you have to give yourself some space in those situations, and handle higher tensions. I am convinced, though, that there will always be a lot of respect between us. The friendship will not change.”

On the Maranello team’s difficulties in the second half of the season, Sainz has his own explanation: “On the part of the others there was a development of the car that was perhaps more pronounced than ours. Also, there were races where we were very fast, but without the ability to take advantage of it. However, even at the beginning of the championship, Red Bull always bothered us in races. In the second part of the season they became faster than us, it is true. Not much though, we are not as far away as it seems, but they know how to exploit this advantage well,” concluded the Spaniard.