– Carlos Sainz has used his own experiences at Ferrari to downplay a potential conflict between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after the Italian Grand Prix. Sainz and Leclerc were teammates at Scuderia from 2021 to 2024, before the Spaniard moved to Williams for 2025 after being replaced by the seven-time world champion Hamilton.
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During these four years, the two often operated on an equal footing, which occasionally led to heated moments on the track. At the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, for example, Sainz accused the Monegasque of “complaining too much” after the Spaniard touched his teammate during an overtaking maneuver in Barcelona.
But as usual, the two settled their differences internally afterwards – exactly what Leclerc now has to do with Hamilton after Italy: “It’s none of my business, but I can tell you: When you have two ambitious teammates, situations like this will always happen,” says the Spaniard.
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“Between Charles and me, there were two or three times a year when there was a discussion or an argument. But after the race or the next morning, we called each other and settled the matter.”
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According to Sainz, this is completely normal: “If you are fighting for podiums or wins in a competitive team and situations arise in turn 1, during the race, or with strategy, one day you are unhappy with the handling and the next you might be favored.”
“It’s always the same. I don’t know how it is handled currently, but when I was with Charles at Ferrari, we always sorted it out among ourselves, moved on, and in the end had a good time.”
There were minor disputes between Leclerc and Hamilton in Monza after Hamilton was pushed into the gravel trap at turn 2. Hamilton complained that there are no rules at Ferrari. However, after a discussion, both reconciled.
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