What Carlos Sainz did at Ferrari last season that ‘really hurt’ teammate Charles Leclerc

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Ferrari have one of the best driver line-ups on the grid this season and it’s no surprise that they’re constantly pushing each other.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been teammates for four seasons although that partnership is set to come to an end when the 2024 campaign concludes in Abu Dhabi.

Lewis Hamilton will arrive at Ferrari next season as he searches for a record eighth world championship.

However, if Ferrari build a car capable of achieving that level of success, Leclerc will fancy his chances against a driver who will be 40 by the time he takes to the streets of Melbourne for the season opener.

Leclerc has already shared his thoughts on his future relationship with Hamilton and while working together is key for the success of the team, there has to be a friendly level of competition as well.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Jock Clear is Leclerc’s driver coach and has also been a key part of Ferrari’s young driver program over the years.

Clear was being interviewed on the F1 Nation Podcast and explained the one result achieved by Sainz that ‘really hurt’ Leclerc.

Although Ferrari see the Monegasque driver as the slightly stronger racer – hence why they’ve retained him over the 30-year-old – he hasn’t had it all his own way during their time together.

Red Bull were completely dominant last season, but Sainz was the only driver to stop them from achieving a clean sweep of race wins with his magical performance in Singapore.

Carlos Sainz’s 2023 Singapore Grand Prix win ‘really hurt’ Charles Leclerc

Talking about the two drivers, Clear said: “I mean, we’ve long talked about the qualities of Carlos and the fact is Carlos probably doesn’t quite have that edge of pace that Charles can show in qualifying.

“But, you look at Singapore last year and that really hit home to Charles.

“That was a race that Charles you would have said would have gone there as a favourite to win Singapore.

“He often goes there with a lot of confidence and for Carlos to nick that one under his nose really hurt.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

“And I think I think that sort of thing has made him focus on, OK, I really need to get the job done on Sunday, and that’s not to say he never thought that.

“But it does mean you change your focus slightly. If you take it away from OK, we just need to get the best qualifying car we can and get a qualifying lap, and then it’ll all happen on a Sunday.

“So I think you’re just seeing a better representation of Charles and of us as a race driver, as a race car, as a race team.”

Charles Leclerc has already surprised people with his comments about Lewis Hamilton

Leclerc and Sainz still have an outside chance of winning the Constructors’ Championship for Ferrari this season.

It would be a huge achievement, although they need to somehow find a way to get the better of an incredibly consistent McLaren car over the final six race weekends.

However, Ferrari may be looking to 2025 and potentially beyond when the most successful driver in F1 history joins Leclerc in the garage.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Leclerc has already surprised some people with his comments about Hamilton, and it’ll be interesting to see how a driver who is regarded as the best qualifier on the grid fares against a world champion who has been very unhappy with his one-lap pace this season.

The Monegasque’s problem has been converting those performances on a Saturday into race wins on a Sunday, something Hamilton has proven throughout his career that he’s an expert at.