Carlos Sainz Jnr mentioned farewell to Ferrari yesterday as he prepares to swap crimson for blue subsequent 12 months at Williams.
However though Ferrari selected to maneuver Sainz apart, they’ll hardly be dissatisfied with the job he has carried out alongside Leclerc over his 4 seasons there.
Sainz narrowly out-scored Leclerc of their first season collectively as group mates and led him into the ultimate race of 2023. All advised, he’s scored 89% of Leclerc’s factors tally over a four-year stretch, regardless of lacking a race this 12 months resulting from appendicitis.
He rebounded from that setback in very good style, profitable on his return in Melbourne. Earlier than the 12 months was over Sainz grabbed a second valedictory victory for the group he was leaving, displaying Leclerc a clear pair of heels in Mexico.
As in earlier seasons, there have been events the place the pair met one another on-track and the group needed to handle the fall-out, equivalent to in Spain. Ferrari dropped the ball on that entrance through the Las Vegas Grand Prix, whereas questionable enhancing of the radio messages broadcast by FOM made Sainz appear to be a nasty man, when he wasn’t.
As mirrored by the season summaries, it will be improper to counsel Sainz persistently had the higher hand over his group mate. Leclerc’s qualifying edge remained intact and he normally had the race tempo to again it up. Nobody might significantly counsel Ferrari let the improper man go.
Sainz’s core efficiency metrics clearly don’t measure up in addition to his factors rating did. Nonetheless, he possible represents significantly higher worth for cash than his group mate, by no means thoughts his predecessor, whom Leclerc thrashed in 2020. Leclerc might additionally study lots from how Sainz and his race engineer reply to variable climate situations.
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It’s not arduous to see why group principal Frederic Vasseur felt he couldn’t flip down the chance to signal Lewis Hamilton when he had the possibility. Nevertheless it does beg a few questions.
First, with the possible exception of Max Verstappen, would Sainz have misplaced his place to some other driver on the grid? On the power of those performances he didn’t should.
Second, what extra might Purple Bull have wanted in a accomplice for Verstappen, which Sainz apparently didn’t have? Their refusal to rehire their former driver regardless of the standard of his current performances says lots about their priorities.
Leclerc vs Sainz: 2021-24
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Leclerc vs Sainz: Season summaries
2021
2022
2023
2024
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Leclerc vs Sainz: Qualifying
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Destructive worth: Leclerc was quicker; Constructive worth: Sainz Jnr was quicker
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