F1 News: Charles Leclerc Blasts Ferrari as Carlos Sainz Ignores Team Orders

Saajan Jogia | Nov 25, 2024

Nov 20, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) during media availabilities at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz expressed frustration over the team's request to let Charles Leclerc pass after the second pit stop and refrain from overtaking him during the race. Despite the order, Sainz ignored the team's instructions, making the pass and securing third place. His teammate, however, was not pleased and was heard ranting on the team radio in the cooldown lap.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered a spectacular night of racing, with the street circuit earning a reputation for allowing numerous overtakes. While the Mercedes pair secured a 1-2 finish, the Ferrari duo behind them faced their issues with team orders, which became public after Leclerc's heated radio exchange with his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi.

Sainz expressed concerns about Ferrari's instructions and was frustrated by the lapses in race execution. After confirming to box, the Spaniard entered the pitlane to change tires but had to bail out at the last second after his team said it wasn't ready. In addition, Sainz also remarked on Leclerc's rant, saying the issue should not have been made public. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he said:

“There was this situation where I had to let by Charles, I lost a lot of time there.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, and I’m not happy about that.

“But at the same time, I think Mercedes was just simply a quicker car today, and maybe probably, one way or another, they would have beaten us today. The podium was the maximum today.

“What I’m not happy about is obviously the execution of the race. I think we can do a lot better than that.”

When asked if a discussion with Leclerc and Ferrari was required, he said:

“I don’t like using the radio to complain or to do anything. I don’t like using the media to criticise or to demonstrate or to prove if I’m happy or not.

“I prefer to do that behind closed doors, because there’s never good outcomes from these kind of comments on the media.

“But obviously, I’m the first one that I’m not happy, and I was the first one trying to get out of the way by pitting and getting out of the way. But the whole situation was a bit messy, and I’m the first one today is not happy, but this is what it is.”

Leclerc clarified that the issue was not whether Ferrari favored Sainz, but rather about not abiding by what had been decided. He said:

“No, no, it’s not about favouring one or the other. It’s about things that we have been told and that from perspective. But that’s all good.

“I’ve already said too much, so I don’t want to go into the details and whatsoever, but it’s just frustrating when it’s like this, and it’s been frustrating for me, but I can understand that nobody understand.”