“Sainz would be a better partner for Lewis than Leclerc, everyone knows it and Ferrari, by now, must have realized it” | OPINION

The truth is that, in the last three seasons, Leclerc has had the first option within the team. Ferrari has always prioritized Charles’ interests and has demonstrated this when it comes to undercuts and pit stops. Those 55 points he added versus Sainz’s meager 29 points boosted what had been a disappointing season for Leclerc.

Leclerc He doesn’t know how to be the second driver of a team and with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton You will have to face that role. Charles has had many threats, but few definitions. He was expected to be the great rival of Verstappenbut it has not even managed to be so for Czech Perez. It has become clear that he is not the driver called to carry the Tifosi attack flag and it is more than certain that the arrival of the seven-time British champion will be for him to take priority in the team. With an ego without major controls, childish complaints on the radio and without the regularity expected of the Italian bet, everyone wonders if Leclerc was the driver to preserve at Ferrari.

On the track, Sainz has shown himself to be a constant driver with an outstanding strategic capacity, as evidenced in the 2023 Singapore GP where he managed to make Leclerc’s DRS his best defense tactic. He is intelligent, consistent and knows how to play as a team. Reviewing the second seats, none is better than Sainz. Stroll is an unstable bet, Piastri still lacks turns, Russell is making it clear that he cannot withstand the pressure of the last turns when he is fighting for something (Singapore 2023 and Australia 2024) while Checo Pérez with the best car on the grid He has long pilgrimages to take Red Bull to its natural habitat: the podium.

In Italy, the media have not stopped praising Carlos after Australia’s victory and have classified him as the most valuable man on the driver market. Beyond the victory, what stands out about the Madrid native’s career is once again his strategy to manage the tires in an abrasive race and how he achieved what was necessary to have a second stoppage without the possibility of the team castling.

How feasible is Sainz’s arrival at Red Bull? Just review the history. The Spaniard knows the inside of the team. He was part of the Red Bull academy and Verstappen’s teammate and although he added less than the current monarch, he also had days where he qualified better. For now, the team has already shown that he is following him. Christian Horner, Red Bull team manager, has classified him as a “nemesis”, given that in the last year he has been the only driver who has been able to beat Max Verstappen (Singapore 2022 and Australia 2023). “We always want to have the best pair of drivers, and sometimes we have to look outside. “The Australian Grand Prix has been won by an unemployed driver, so the market is reasonably fluid.”Horner has declared, suggesting the possibility with Sainz and fueling the emotional arrhythmia of Checo Pérez.