Charles Leclerc shares honest opinion on impact of Carlos Sainz on his driving

Charles Leclerc has paid tribute to Carlos Sainz and the kind of job the Spaniard has done as his Ferrari teammate in the last four years. The duo came together in 2021 and were teammates until the end of 2024, when Lewis Hamilton was announced as Sainz's replacement.

The two drivers have been very competitive against each other, and it has shown in the way they have raced as well. While Charles Leclerc did definitively have an edge over Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard also had his moments where he was quite brilliant as well.

Going into 2025, Charles Leclerc will have Lewis Hamilton as his teammate while Carlos Sainz would move to Williams alongside Alex Albon. As quoted by F1.com, the Monegasque driver gave the Spaniard credit for the kind of step he's made as a driver and Ferrari has made as a team. He said:

“I think Lando [Norris] and myself are probably the two best people to speak about it, because we've been sharing the same team with Carlos for many years. And I can tell you, Carlos is so incredibly talented."

He added:

“He's helped me to improve in so many areas – his work ethic, his talent, just everything he brings. The discipline he has, he's been just such an incredible team mate. And I think if today we have done such a step forward in a year and in these four years, it's a big thanks to Carlos."

Only a matter of time before Carlos Sainz is back at the front: Charles Leclerc

Addressing the fact that Carlos Sainz would be moving to a team like Williams that has more or less struggled since it last won a title in 1997, Charles Leclerc felt that in F1 such things are very hard to explain and sometimes it's just luck playing a role.

He backed his former Ferrari teammate to bounce back and get to the front, saying:

“He's just been extremely quick. And in Formula 1, as Lando said, some things you don't really have explanations for. There's also luck that is involved to be at the right place at the right time and Carlos definitely deserves to be in a top team."

He added:

“But I'm sure that it's just a matter of time before he comes back and joins us to fight for wins. He will give so much to Williams, the way he's so sensitive to every small change and every small feeling there is in the car.”

At Ferrari, in 2025, Charles Leclerc would be teamed up with Lewis Hamilton in a partnership that is touted by many as one of the best on the grid. With a title battle in sight, it would be interesting to see how the duo gets along as the stakes rise.