Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz found themselves on an unexpected road trip after travel disruptions following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The pair, who were teammates at Ferrari before Sainz’s move to Williams, were returning to Monaco when their flight to Nice was diverted to Italy due to severe storms in the region.
Stranded mid-journey, Leclerc and Sainz opted to rent a van and make the drive back to Monaco with Leclerc’s photographer Joris Trouche and videographer Antoine Truchet. Documenting the moment in a video that later went viral, Leclerc remarked, “After a difficult weekend in Baku, I thought it couldn’t get any worse,” before showing Sainz behind the wheel.
Sainz, joking about the situation, told viewers, “We are driving a van… in the middle of Italy,” explaining that the diversion left them no choice but to take the road. He added humorously that the estimated two-hour trip would be completed in “one hour and a half.”
The light-hearted video came after contrasting weekends for the two drivers. Sainz celebrated his first podium with Williams by finishing third in Baku, marking a milestone for his new team. Leclerc, meanwhile, endured a more difficult outing. A crash in qualifying hindered his chances, and he ultimately finished ninth, securing two points.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Leclerc accepted responsibility for his qualifying mistake, noting that it left him compromised on race day. He explained that being caught in traffic and matched with less competitive cars on strategy limited his ability to move forward, despite having stronger pace.
Although the on-track results varied, the unexpected road trip highlighted the camaraderie between the two drivers and quickly captured fans’ attention online.
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