While believing Charles Leclerc was too trigger-happy with team radio in their time at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz fully understood the fiery rant in Las Vegas.

Charles Leclerc unleashed an X-rated grilling on his Ferrari team over team radio back at the Las Vegas GP, furious having missed out on the final podium place to team-mate Carlos Sainz, who undercut the Monegasque driver.

Carlos Sainz ‘p*ssed off many times too’ at Ferrari

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Leclerc had initially let Sainz through in the opening stint with his tyres dropping off, that favour returned by Sainz ahead of undercutting Leclerc at the second round of pit stops, as he raced on from there to P3, despite being asked by Ferrari to let Leclerc through.

Sainz could relate to the emotions from Leclerc, as he had felt them too at Ferrari.

“I understand Leclerc’s level of anger in Las Vegas. I’ve been that p*ssed off many times too, I’ve been in that situation myself,” Sainz told Marca.

However, Sainz added that he tries “not to vocalise it” as he feels such situations are then blown out of proportion over team radio, as he suggested that Leclerc – now his former Ferrari team-mate with Sainz having moved to Williams – too often heads for the radio to vent.

“On the track, we have had our differences, our rivalries, our fantastic weekends and the most difficult ones, but we have always managed to be clean with each other,” Sainz continued. “We have always managed not to get any scratches on the car from the other Ferrari.

“We are very competitive, we are both rivals, and yes, four years is a lot of races.

“We always say ‘look, there are times when you hate me and there are times when I hate you’, and that’s fine, we laugh about it, we move on.

“That’s why you have to try not to use the radio. The radio makes things seem bigger than they really are when we go back and sit down together and digest what has happened.

“I will look back on these four years with Charles and I will have good memories. I will remember that he has been a tough competitor, sometimes he talks too much on the radio, but I have enjoyed every battle with him, I have enjoyed being his team-mate.

“I am very happy to have been his team-mate, because I have become a better driver thanks to him and he thanks to me.”

Final F1 2024-head-to-head standings

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

And Leclerc agrees that he has become a better driver after having Sainz as his team-mate for four seasons.

Sainz has joined Williams on a multi-year deal, the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari triggering Sainz to join the push to get Williams back to the front of the F1 grid, with Leclerc expecting the four-time grand prix winner to work his way back into victory contention down the line.

Speaking alongside Sainz and Sainz’s former McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi, Leclerc said: “I think Lando and myself are probably the two best persons to speak about it, because we’ve been sharing the same team with Carlos for many years.

“I can tell you, Carlos is so incredibly talented. He’s helped me to improve in so many areas, his work ethic, his talent, and just everything he brings.

“The discipline he has, he’s been just such an incredible team-mate. And I think if today, I will repeat myself, but if today we have done such a step forward in a year and in these four years, it’s a big thanks to Carlos. He’s just been extremely quick.

“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.

“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. I’m pretty sure that already tomorrow [in testing] they will have a lot of valuable feedback that will help them for next year.

“I’ll definitely miss the fights. We’ve had our moments on track, but that’s only because we were fighting so close together and because he’s been pushing me all the way. And it’s been an absolute pleasure. And of course, in some moments, in the actual moment, in the present moment, there’s frustration.

“But I’m sure that, and actually already now, I’m looking back at those moments, with a lot of positive memories. And I wouldn’t be the driver I am today without him as my teammate in the last four years.

“So yeah, it’s been a really big pleasure and four years that I will be looking back in the most positive way. And I wish him the best. But as I said, I have no doubts that he will be back at the top of the grid, whether it’s with Williams by his input or with someone else. But he deserves that. I think everybody knows that. And it’s just a matter of time before he comes back.”

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