Fred Vasseur admits Carlos Sainz is UNDERRATED, says the Spaniard and Charles Leclerc make the Ferrari lineup perfect

Carlos Sainz hasn't yet lived upto the promisses since joining Ferrai from McLaren.

Fred Vasseur admits Carlos Sainz is UNDERRATED, says the Spaniard and Charles Leclerc make the Ferrari lineup perfect

Fred Vasseur (image via Spogo News). Carlos Sainz (image via Sports Illustrated), Charles Leclerc (image via Autosport)

Carlos Sainz joined Scuderia Ferrari in 2021 under the leadership of former team boss Mattia Binotto. The Spaniard managed to deliver decent results during his first season at Maranello. However, the 28-year-old seems to have fallen behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the era of new F1 regulations. Amidst the criticisms, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has come out in defense of Sainz.

The Frenchman ended media speculation regarding his opinion about the Spanish driver. The 55-year-old made it clear that he is happy with Sainz’s performances in 2023 and reckons that the 28-year-old forms a perfect line-up for the Scuderia alongside Leclerc. He said, “With Charles, he forms a winning pair. I think Carlos is very underrated.”

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Previously, Fred Vasseur had stated that there is no driver preference at Maranello. Leclerc and Sainz have been given the same opportunity to deliver results for the Italian team. Presently, Carlos leads his teammate in the championship standings. The Spaniard has scored 68 points so far compared to 54 points by Charles this season.

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Carlos Sainz is yet to score a podium in 2023

Carlos Sainz, 2023 Spanish GP, image via PlanetF1
Carlos Sainz, 2023 Spanish GP, image via PlanetF1

Sainz has failed to finish in the top three in the first eight rounds of this season. The 28-year-old came close to finally securing his spot on the podium at the Australian GP but was given a last-minute five-second penalty that saw him drop down the order. At the same time, Leclerc stood on the podium at the Azerbaijan GP.

The 28-year-old is keen on improving his result in the coming races to solidify his position at the Scuderia. Carlos Sainz has convinced team boss Vasseur with his performances so far. However, the Spanish driver will have to avoid mistakes that hampered his season in 2022 to truly prove himself as a driver capable of winning the world title.

Fred Vasseur is satisfied with Carlos Sainz. The Frenchman might not have been the one who signed the Spaniard for Ferrari but he understands the capabilities of the 28-year-old. Though, it remains to be seen how things pan out for Maranello in the coming weeks as Sainz and Leclerc try to get better results with the influx of recent upgrades.

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