Ferrari Feud: Carlos Sainz Rebukes Charles Leclerc Over Spanish GP Clash Complaints

Carlos Sainz responds to Charles Leclerc's repeated complaints after their on-track incident

Tensions are rising at Ferrari after an early race clash between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc during the Spanish Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz has responded to Ferrari F1 teammate Charles Leclerc's frequent complaints following their early collision in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Sainz executed a bold maneuver to pass Leclerc at Turn 1 during the initial laps of the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The action left Leclerc feeling annoyed, as he communicated over the team radio: "Sainz got too near to me!"

According to replays, Sainz did not give Leclerc sufficient room, which led to a slight collision.

Following the race, Leclerc expressed significant dissatisfaction with Sainz's tactics, disclosing that they had previously decided to conserve their tires.

Leclerc explained that their initial race strategy was for both drivers to preserve their tires for a stronger push later. However, he noted that Carlos didn't conserve his tires at Turn 14 and took the chance to overtake him at Turn 1. Leclerc expressed some disappointment, pointing out that they ended up losing time as a result.

Leclerc mentioned that the collision caused damage to the front wing.

"I harmed my front wing when Carlos made the turn without noticing I was on the inside, which complicated our race," he mentioned.

"I was confused about why that action was taken, especially since it was clearly mentioned before the race that we needed to conserve at this stage."

"It might be a little excessive, but I get that it's his home race and a significant point in his career, so he probably wanted to make a big impression. However, I don't think I was the best choice for that."

However, Sainz appeared unfazed by Leclerc’s recent grievances.

Sainz believed he was just "going all out" and competing with intensity.

Sainz mentioned to Sky Sports that he often finds his competitor voicing grievances after races. He suggested that the driver might be reacting impulsively due to the heat of the moment, especially considering the current stage of the season, though he admitted uncertainty about the exact reasons.

"I was in full attack mode. We had new soft tires while Mercedes had worn soft tires, so we needed to be aggressive in the initial laps with the fresh rubber and attempt to overtake them, just as we discussed before the race. I overtook Charles, possibly because he made an error or was conserving too much. I almost overtook Lewis with an undercut and nearly got past Russell during the pit stop."

"I was experimenting with different strategies necessary for a driver. He chose to play it safe, and it worked out for him as he finished ahead of me using a soft-medium-soft tire strategy. On the other hand, I decided to be more aggressive with a soft-medium-hard approach, which didn't work out in my favor. I believe both George and I were too slow on the hard tires, while those using the soft tires were much faster."

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