Carlos Sainz said Charles Leclerc “complains too many times” after his Ferrari team-mate criticised the Spaniard for overtaking him early in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Sainz passed Leclerc on the fourth lap in Barcelona on Sunday and the pair brushed wheels, with Leclerc later insisting the manoeuvre had caused costly damage to his car.
Sainz will leave the Italian outfit at the end of the 2024 season, to be replaced by Lewis Hamilton, and with the 29-year-old on the lookout for a new seat, Leclerc says he understands his colleague is “motivated to do something spectacular”.
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Leclec and Sainz collided on lap four in Barcelona
But the Monegasque said Sainz should not have done it against him and that there will be “a discussion”, as the team-mates delivered an opposing assessment of the incident.
Sainz told Sky Sports F1’s Rachel Brookes: “Too many times after the race he [Leclerc] complains about something. Honestly, at this point of the season, I was on the attack.
“We were on a used soft tyre. I passed Charles… I don’t know if he made a mistake or was just managing a bit too much.
“I think I was trying to do what was required as a driver. He elected to manage more.”
Leclerc was frustrated by Ferrari’s pace across the Spanish Grand Prix weekend
Leclerc: I was probably not the right person to do that with
Leclerc and Sainz have been team-mates at Ferrari since 2021, with the pair largely experiencing a friendly relationship.
Leclerc, who finished fifth and Sainz sixth in a race won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, said: “It’s okay. We will have a discussion, obviously. I’m sure everything will be fine.
“We discussed beforehand that it was the part of the race where we had to manage the tyres as much as possible.
“Carlos took that opportunity to overtake, which is a shame as that put us on the back foot and damaged my front wing.
Sainz says Leclerc ‘complains too much after races’
“It was a small damage but everything makes a difference. When you see how close we were at the end it’s a shame.
“He is motivated to do something spectacular but I was probably not the right person to do that with.”
Leclerc’s frustrations also stretched to Ferrari’s lack of speed, adding: “We tried everything.
“I don’t think we maximised our race as a team. We are missing pace but it is the way it is. We weren’t fast enough.”
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The best of the action from an eventful Spanish Grand Prix as Max Verstappen won the race ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton
Pundits’ view on Leclerc-Sainz clash
Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok
“I think it was hard racing. I think it’s fine. It was on the edge but they got away with it.”
Sky Sports F1’s Damon Hill:
“They are both responsible for both cars in the race and that could have been two cars out. “
F1’s triple-header continues with the Austrian Grand Prix this coming week – with the Sprint format returning. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s big race from 2pm.
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