What Carlos Sainz did in Las Vegas shows that he is very good at ‘playing the team game’

On By Pranco

Carlos Sainz was at the center of controversy with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix after the Spaniard went against team orders.

Leclerc ranted on the team radio after the race Sainz passed him against his team’s wishes after the second round of pit stops.

Ferrari The engineers told Sainz not to put pressure on Leclerc, but the Spaniard ignored the order after the team was not ready for his pit stop and passed his teammate to take the final podium.

This led to Leclerc to rage at his team over the scenario, which he claimed would cost him a chance at a podium and bring Lando Norris closer in the race. Drivers Championship. Martin Brundle sensed Leclerc’s tire management ultimately cost him a chance at a podium, after struggling to pass George Russell.

Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Ferrari SF-24 and Carlos Sainz of Spain driving (55) the Ferrari SF-24 battle for track position during...
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm discusses the situation on The Race podcast and believes there is one aspect of Sainz’s race that shows he played the team game despite Leclerc being at a disadvantage.

Carlos Sainz letting Charles Leclerc pass shows he can play team games

The 50-lap Grand Prix was difficult for Ferrari, with both Leclerc and Sainz sacrificing points during the race for their respective strategies to work.

Leclerc initially overtook Sainz at the start and was able to attack Russell, but this destroyed his tires and allowed the Spaniard to regain the position. For their first pit stop, Sainz later gave in when Lewis Hamilton came up behind them.

Sainz would later disobey team orders after his pit stop, but Mitchell-Malm believes the initial decision to cede position to Leclerc showed the Spaniard was willing to play the team game.

“It wasn’t that Sainz did anything completely egregious. The way he overtook Leclerc and how they tried to approach things. If Sainz had raced for himself and taken the lead like we know Carlos, he wouldn’t have let Leclerc through like he did in the second stint,” said Mitchell-Malm.

“Because only a driver who is very good at playing the team game and at the same time taking care of himself could have somehow managed to let Leclerc through without losing another place to himself.”

Charles Leclerc rails against Ferrari engineer after Las Vegas Grand Prix

Leclerc was furious with his engineer Bryon Bozzi after the race, knowing that he only scored 12 points and reduced the gap to Norris to 21 points, while the lead over the last two races could have been 18 points.

The Monogasque already expressed his frustration with the situation between himself and Sainz when the Spaniard passed him after his final pit stop.

Director Engineer
Bozzi: “Carlos has been told that he is not allowed to overtake
but it is very close, you may be just at the front.
He has been told not to pressure you. So take good care of your tires.”
*Sainz passes Leclerc after his pit stop on the start/finish straight*

Leclerc: “Maybe try in Spanish….”

Things didn’t improve after the race when Leclerc vented his frustrations in an F-bomb-filled tirade, claiming he was too respectful of his outgoing teammate.

Director Engineer
Bozzi: “Charles, you did your job.”
Leclerc: “Yes, I did my job, but be nice to me
all the f—— time, all the f—— time. It’s not even
being nice, it’s just being respectful.”

Fortunately for Leclerc and Sainz, there are only two rounds left in their partnership, although both are likely to want to maximize their chances of victory with second place in the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ title still up for grabs.

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