“…Helped me start the year on a high level”: Charles Leclerc points out exactly what gave him the upper hand on Carlos Sainz in 2022


“…Helped me start the year on a high level”: Charles Leclerc points out exactly what gave him the upper hand on Carlos Sainz in 2022

When Charles Leclerc had stepped into the 2022 Formula One season, every sports commentator and pundit were sure that he is the frontrunner amongst all the title contenders. But through the course of the Championship, Leclerc’s simply vanished as Max Verstappen turned the tables on him once Red Bull cracked the code to reliability, and ultimately, the Dutchman attained his second World Championship title in a row at the end of the year. And Charles Leclerc had to settle for the second place, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Mercedes’ George Russell, and his own teammate Carlos Sainz.

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Now, Spanish racer Carlos Sainz shifted to the Scuderia from McLaren only in 2021, and it was specified that they will not follow any team hierarchy amongst the two racers. This means, Sainz would have the same opportunities as Leclerc for going after the Championship. But even then, it was found that the #55 racer suffered more race retirements because of car reliability issues, while Charles Leclerc still managed to come in the top 3 at the races regularly.

Despite starting off the season with a strong P2 finish at the debut race in Bahrain, Carlos Sainz had to settle for P5 in the World Championship in the end. This was more than 60 points away from his teammate who got the same Ferrari package as him. In a recent interview with Auto, Motor und Sport, the Monegasque driver talked about what set him apart from Carlos Sainz and how he got the upper hand on the Spaniard.

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Also Read: “We will do everything in our power,” Toto Wolff warns F1 teams of a Mercedes resurgence in 2023

Charles Leclerc believes the changes he made by himself to his car which gave him an edge over teammate Carlos Sainz

Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc has outperformed his own teammate Carlos Sainz in the same F1-75 by a huge extent, and it is being considered that the gap between the two racers will not be overlooked by the fans. By scoring about 60 points more than Sainz, the Monegasque turned the tables after being surpassed by him in the points table in 2021.

When asked how Leclerc managed to outscore Sainz, he said, “I changed a few things. The way I work. The way I discipline myself at home. We had a big focus on how I can drive the car. That helped me start the season on a high level. I was able to concentrate on the details.

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But, now things are about to change in Ferrari with their Team Principal Mattia Binotto resigning from the Italian outfit following the 2022 season. Now, it is to be seen if the change is for the better as they have to gear up for some steep competition from Mercedes and Red Bull, who will be looking to snatch the top position in the World Constructors’ Championship in the upcoming season.

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