Charles Leclerc claims he can’t ‘lie’ about being ‘happy’ with Carlos Sainz’s Australian GP victory

Carlos Sainz outperformed Charles Leclerc to take victory at the Australian GP.

Charles Leclerc claims he can’t ‘lie’ about being ‘happy’ with Carlos Sainz’s Australian GP victory

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

The Australian GP marked a great weekend for Ferrari as the Italian team secured a one-two finish. Max Verstappen‘s car suffered a brake failure which forced him to retire from the race. Carlos Sainz emerged victorious over Charles Leclerc with an incredible drive at Albert Park. Hence, the Monegasque showcased some disappointment over being defeated by his teammate.

Charles Leclerc was questioned regarding his feelings following Carlos Sainz having a one-up on him. The 26-year-old mentioned that he would be lying if he said he was happy with the Spaniard’s victory. The moment was bittersweet for the Monegasque, as he missed the opportunity to win the race. Regardless, Ferrari scored a victory and acquired crucial points. 

I'd be lying if I said I'm happy.
Charles Leclerc said, as reported by formulapassion.it.
YouTube video

However, the 26-year-old didn’t hesitate to praise the Spaniard over the great weekend results. Leclerc reckoned that Sainz had done an ‘excellent job’ regarding the success of the Australian GP. Hence, it was up to the Monegasque to react well to the victory while trying to win a race down the season. Additionally, Sainz also won a race during the 2023 season, despite Red Bull’s highly dominant campaign. On the contrary, Leclerc’s last race win was during Austria 2022.

FS Video
But Carlos has done an excellent job with his success and now it's up to me to react and hopefully win the next race.
Charles Leclerc noted.

Charles Leclerc highlighted the ‘excellent level’ of his previous grand prizes

Charles Leclerc did not miss out on the opportunity to highlight his own talent while applauding Sainz. The Monegasque mentioned that in Formula 1, people tend to forget things quickly. Additionally, everyone judged performance based on the latest race. As a result, Leclerc’s results seemed to not look as great against Sainz.

I think that in Formula 1 we tend to forget things quickly. All judgments are based on the last race.
Charles Leclerc mentioned.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Australia 2024
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (Via IMAGO)

Subsequently, Leclerc highlighted that his previous eight or nine grand prizes were of great significance. The 26-year-old termed his previous performances at an ‘excellent level’ as compared to Carlos Sainz. Hence, the Monegasque would be looking for a solid result at the Japanese GP. 

But if I look at my last eight or nine grand prizes, they were at an excellent level.
Charles Leclerc declared.

Ferrari has been showcasing great consistency since the beginning of the 2024 season. Maranello sits on runner-up spot currently with a significant gap to McLaren. As such, the Scuderia would be looking to potentially challenge Red Bull on a consistent basis in the coming races.

In case you missed it: