Following the Spanish Grand Prix, a wave of discord swept through the Ferrari team. Usually on good terms, drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz found themselves at odds after a minor collision during the race’s opening phase. However, Leclerc, who is set to share the track with Sainz for another season, has confirmed that they have since made amends.
The tension was palpable after the Grand Prix in Barcelona. Both Ferrari drivers failed to achieve the results they had hoped for, their race marred early on by a clash in the first turn. Leclerc blamed his Spanish teammate for the collision, but Sainz refused to accept responsibility.
During a press conference leading up to the Austrian Grand Prix, Leclerc confirmed that the air had been cleared. “We flew home together and had a good talk,” he explained. “From the outside, these kinds of things always seem blown out of proportion. But we’ve known each other long enough to understand that we can sometimes overreact after a race. It happened, but we’ve worked it out together. I’m not worried about anything.”
In Austria, both Leclerc and Sainz hope to make a strong stand against the competition – in Spain, even Mercedes seemed too fast for the Scuderia. “We’ve made strides in the last few races,” Leclerc assured. “We’re getting better at the long, slow turns, but we need to be careful not to lose more time in the fast sections. It’s all about finding the balance.”
“I don’t think we made mistakes with the setup,” Leclerc continued. “In Canada, we couldn’t get the tires up to temperature, and in Spain, we simply didn’t have enough speed. I think we just need to better understand the new parts. I don’t expect this to be an ongoing issue.”
