Charles Leclerc at odds with Carlos Sainz: “A different approach from mine, I don’t want to say more”. Charles Leclerc at odds with Carlos Sainz after the Austin Sprint race.

Red duel
There were sparks at the end of the Austin Sprint race. Behind Max Verstappen, who returned to victory after a long dry spell, was the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, the star of the day with a spectacular comeback, climbing from fifth to second. But the future Williams driver, sidelined by Maranello to make room for Sir Lewis Hamilton, built the foundation for his rise through an all-out battle with his teammate, Charles Leclerc.

For three to four consecutive laps in the opening stages, the Spaniard attacked the sister car, creating a spectacular sequence of overtakes and counter-overtakes. After the umpteenth attempt, Charles Leclerc had to wave the white flag, letting the SF-24 #55 go and unable to pass it again until the checkered flag, where Leclerc crossed the line in fourth place.

Charles Leclerc annoyed
Speaking to Sky Sport F1 after the Sprint, however, the Monza winner made it clear he was frustrated with the attitude of his teammate, who targeted him while he was trying to manage his tires. Leclerc didn’t explicitly criticize Carlos Sainz, but his demeanor in front of the cameras said a lot.

“The battle at the start with Carlos Sainz? It certainly affected my result,” Charles Leclerc said. “But of course, this is a Sprint race, and we all try to get the best result possible. Carlos had a different approach from mine. He pushed really hard in the opening laps, while I wanted to be careful with the tires. His approach paid off today compared to mine. I won’t go into more detail than that.” – the Monegasque driver concluded at the end of the Austin Sprint race in the United States.

The unsaid here weighs more than the words, and it suggests there may have been some pre-race agreements about how to approach the race.