Ferrari vs Ferrari? Charles Leclerc slams Carlos Sainz Jr after Spanish GP incident

The Spanish Grand Prix highlighted growing tensions within Ferrari as Charles Leclerc publicly criticized teammate Carlos Sainz for an incident that he claims cost him a better finish. During the race, both drivers clashed in the first turn, leading to what Leclerc described as an "unfair" move by Sainz, which slowed him down and caused front wing damage.

Leclerc voiced his frustration post-race, stating, “It was wrong to fight at the start, and it wasn’t fair racing from Carlos either, driving into T1 as if I weren’t there. I had damage on my front wing and we lost some time there. He further elaborated, “It's a bit unnecessary, but I also understand that it's his home race, and it's also an important moment of his career, so I guess he wanted to do something a bit spectacular. But I probably wasn't the right person to do that with”

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur downplayed the incident, noting that data did not support significant damage to Leclerc's car. Vasseur also emphasized the need for internal discussions before drawing conclusions from initial comments.

Carlos Sainz defended his actions, suggesting that aggressive racing is part of the sport and mentioning, “It’s tough, hard racing. It's always a pleasure to race Charles. Sainz also criticized Leclerc for frequently complaining post-race. "It's too many times he complains after the race about something," Sainz said. He explained his strategy, “I was on the attack. We were on a new soft, Mercedes was on a used soft. We had to go on the attack on the first laps when you have a new tyre and pass them. Like we said even before the race”.

Sainz continued, “I passed Charles because...I don't know if he did a mistake or was just managing a bit too much. Then I went on and nearly passed Lewis, and I undercut Lewis, nearly passed Russell at pit stops. I was trying to try what I have to as a driver, what is required for me to do as a driver. He had to manage more, in the end for him it kind of paid because he beat me at the end with a soft-medium-soft [tyre strategy]. I elected to be aggressive, soft-medium-hard, and it didn't pay off. Is what it is”.

Despite the internal friction, both drivers and Vasseur acknowledged the importance of their competitive relationship in driving the team forward. Leclerc remains focused on improving Ferrari’s performance, while Sainz looks to resolve the car's weaknesses.