Charles Leclerc, despite having a favorable strategy, was unable to overtake George Russell and finished 5th at a disastrous weekend for Ferrari. As he was trying to pass the Briton, he suddenly began to make excuses over the radio, which would later spark a heated exchange with his teammate Carlos Sainz.
Leclerc blamed Sainz for a touch that occurred during the race, claiming that Sainz had damaged his front wing. However, it was clear that Leclerc was referring to the moment when he tried to pass Sainz but was unsuccessful. The Monegasque driver seemed to be deflecting responsibility and avoiding self-criticism.
After the race, Leclerc continued to berate Sainz, claiming that the Spaniard had wanted to impress at his home grand prix. He even went so far as to say that Sainz had damaged his wing on purpose, accusing him of trying to show off because he didn’t have a team.
Carlos Sainz, however, denied these claims, saying that he was surprised by Leclerc’s multiple complaints. Sainz explained that they were both trying to save their tires and that Leclerc was doing too much of it. He also pointed out that they had agreed to save their tires during a pre-race briefing.
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, eventually had to step in and deny Leclerc’s claims. He stated that Leclerc’s complaints were likely due to the fact that he was losing time and not because of any actual wrongdoing by Sainz. Vasseur also downplayed the incident, saying that it was just a small contact and that the team didn’t lose anything as a result.