Carlos Sainz’s 2025 F1 seat audition might be ruining Ferrari’s plans for Charles Leclerc

Carlos Sainz's battle with Charles Leclerc during the Chinese GP sprint race could be a sign of the Spaniard focusing on his own results.

Carlos Sainz’s 2025 F1 seat audition might be ruining Ferrari’s plans for Charles Leclerc

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

Carlos Sainz will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Scuderia Ferrari in 2025. The Spanish driver remains without a contract for next season as his future looms in uncertainty. However, it seems that Sainz’s efforts to secure a drive for the upcoming season is creating a problem for teammate Charles Leclerc and the Italian team.

Sainz is currently the most sought-after driver for next season. Audi is believed to be the most interested in acquiring the 29-year-old with reports of a two-week ultimatum. However, even Red Bull and Mercedes have expressed interest in Carlos Sainz. Subsequently, the Spanish driver seems to have drastically improved his results this year including his Australian GP victory.

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However, Carlos Sainz’s efforts have started to interfere with Ferrari’s goals. The Spanish driver raced hard against Charles Leclerc in the Chinese GP sprint. Leclerc declared that he needed to talk to Sainz regarding this incident after the session. However, it is clear that the 29-year-old will start to prioritize his own results to showcase his pace to potential employers.

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Carlos Sainz no longer a team player for Ferrari?

Usually, after such a massive incident between teammates, both drivers follow a party line to cool down the situation in the media. However, things have taken a drastic turn within the Italian team. Charles Leclerc had claimed that he sorted out the incident with Carlos Sainz in a private discussion. Now, Sainz directly refuted the Monegasque’s statements.

Carlos Sainz Feature
Carlos Sainz ( Image via IMAGO)

Carlos Sainz declared that he had not talked to Charles Leclerc after the incident. This could further spark controversy regarding the entire scenario. However, it seems that the Spanish driver was not in the mood to help out the team publicly. This could be a sign that Sainz was no longer willing to toe Ferrari’s line as he looks to secure a seat at a new team. 

The reality is that we didn't manage to talk, because obviously with this format it's not like you get time to talk with each other much. We will probably do so tonight.
Carlos Sainz told Motorsport.com

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel took a similar approach in 2020 when Ferrari opted to replace him with Sainz for 2021. Perhaps, Carlos Sainz had decided to adopt his predecessor’s style as he tries to focus simply on his own results. Unfortunately, this could become a major headache for Ferrari and could severely impact on Charles Leclerc’s results.

Leclerc could be forced to race wheel-to-wheel against Sainz in the coming races. This might further risk the results of both drivers. However, Ferrari has been adamant on treating both drivers equally so far.

Certainly, Carlos Sainz is a man on a mission to prove his worth to Formula 1. The Spanish driver will leave no stone unturned to secure a seat for next season. However, it remains to be seen if this creates tensions within the Scuderia, especially after the conflicting comments made by Sainz and Leclerc. Nevertheless, fans could witness some exciting drama in the coming days.

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