‘Charles Leclerc is the “problem” at Ferrari, not Carlos Sainz’

Carlos Sainz has struggled to consistently match Charles Leclerc, but one bombshell report alleges that the latter is the actual 'problem' at Ferrari.

‘Charles Leclerc is the “problem” at Ferrari, not Carlos Sainz’

Carlos Sainz (L) | Charles Leclerc (R)

Recently, rumors emerged that Audi were targeting Carlos Sainz for when they ‘arrive’ in the sport in 2026. He wasn’t happy with the rumors. Some also alleged that Ferrari want to be rid of him. Since the start of the 2022 season, he’s been unable to match his teammate, Charles Leclerc, consistently in terms of performance. Some of that can be attributed to the F1-75 not suiting him, but not all. His current contract runs until 2024.

Despite the rumors, the team have always publicly backed him – and he’s not been catastrophic. There’s also a lack of real options, as the ‘better options’ already have their futures secure at other Formula 1 teams. There’s still time for him to improve as well, and he just may as the package does. Helmut Marko, in particular, does not see why Ferrari would want to get rid of Sainz. The two, of course, know each other well from Sainz’s time with Toro Rosso and the junior program.

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Speaking to F1-Insider, he dismissed the rumors entirely: “Anyone can more or less put something online these days. Reports can no longer be checked. Why should Ferrari part ways with Carlos? That does not make sense. Carlos is doing a good job. Ferrari has other problems than thinking about Sainz.” What other problems? Well, there are numerous: The fact that the SF-23 isn’t nearly competitive enough with the RB-19, the strategic issues, and also…Leclerc?

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That is what the ‘report’ says. According to the publication, ‘F1 Insiders’ know that the Monegasque, and not Sainz, is the real problem at Ferrari. Why? Because he ‘seems’ to have lost faith in the team’s ability to compete for the world championship. Moreover, the publication also alleges that Toto Wolff would like to sign Leclerc as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton – whose contract for 2023 still hasn’t been extended.

Read More: Carlos Sainz lashes out at “invented rumors” of him joining Audi in 2026

Charles Leclerc to exit Ferrari through a potential ‘performance clause’?

Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc’s current contract expires at the end of 2024. While he hasn’t ruled out a move to Mercedes, before the season’s start, he did say that his dream is still to win with Ferrari. But now, three races in, he only has 6 points. He would hope to win the championship in 2023, but that’s beginning to look nigh on impossible. A comeback cannot be ruled out, but it is unlikely, considering just how dominant the RB-19 has been compared to the rest of the field, including the SF-23.

Lewis Hamilton’s current contract expires at the end of this year. So, with the current contracts, the timelines don’t match. But there are two possibilities. One is that Hamilton extends for one year, then leaves to make way for Leclerc after 2024. The other, and the more ‘speculative’ one, according to the publication, is if Leclerc potentially has a performance clause in his contract. This would allow him to make an early exit if his fortunes don’t improve.

According to Helmut Marko, such clauses are common. He said: “These performance clauses are common today. It roughly states that a driver must have a certain number of points at a certain point in the season, usually in late summer, in order for the contract to be automatically renewed. If this is not the case, both parties have the option of terminating the contract. For this reason, our Sebastian Vettel was able to switch to Ferrari so easily in 2015.”

Well, considering he only has six points right now, if a performance clause exists, he’ll probably be able to activate it. But, considering Ferrari are bringing in major upgrade packages soon, it’s possible that his performance will improve to a ‘satisfactory’ level. But even if it does, right now, it seems unlikely that either of the 2023 trophies will head in Leclerc or Ferrari’s direction.

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