Ferrari boss lauds Carlos Sainz’s role in motivating Charles Leclerc during dire times

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur claimed that Carlos Sainz's form after last year's summer break played a key role in motivating Charles Leclerc during his patchy form. At the 2023 Singapore GP, the Spanish driver came out of the blocks quicker than his teammate and became the only driver to get a race win, apart from the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Sainz was the faster Ferrari driver in Zandvoort, Monza, and Singapore, which proved to be critical for the team to help them close the gap to their rivals ahead in the championship.

Speaking with Formula Passion, the Ferrari team principal spoke about Carlos Sainz's strengths as an F1 driver and how his consistency as a driver was "crucial" for the team. He said:

"Over the last year and a half, Carlos has been incredibly consistent, not only in his results but also in his approach, the quality of his work, and his relationship with the engineers. For the team, this is crucial. He is a huge professional, also because of the mood he has instilled in the team. Another characteristic of his is that he has a very good technical knowledge of the car and its dynamics," Vasseur said.

"Last year we had some difficult moments with Leclerc, while Sainz performed very well after the summer break between Monza and Singapore. This encouraged Charles to bounce back, and then he scored six or seven consecutive front rows. Carlos played a huge role in the team’s recovery at the end of last season," he added.

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Ferrari team principal gives his statement on Carlos Sainz joining Williams F1

After long deliberation, it was announced that Carlos Sainz would be joining the Williams F1 team from the 2025 season onwards on a multi-year deal. After the announcement, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur gave his statement on the news and wished the Spaniard on his journey with the Grove-based outfit. He said:

"I am pleased that Carlos will be joining Williams Racing from next season. It's a team with a great history and legacy, founded by an enlightened man with an ambitious vision, so l know Carlos will feel at home there."

Vasseur was nonetheless quick to mention that the Spanish driver was "still very much a Ferrari driver" and expressed belief in the team and Sainz to work together for the remainder of the season and capitalize on any opportunity they'd get to win points.

Carlos Sainz is currently P5 in the Driver's Championship with 162 points and is a mere 15 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who sits on 177 points in P3.