Sainz avoided the “Ferrari pressure cooker” by not making a “brave statement” against Leclerc: ex-F1 engineer

F1 is a unique sport when it comes to teammate dynamics. While teammates need to work together, they’re also each other’s most direct competitors. Teammate rivalries often heat up, much to the detriment of the team. Rob Smedley, a former Ferrari engineer, is happy that Carlos Sainz has not taken a step in this direction with his new team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc came home sixth while his Spanish teammate Sainz finished eighth and scored his first points for the Maranello-based team. The Italian team occupies fourth place in the constructors’ championship with 12 points.

The next round of the championships in 2021 will take us to the Italian Grand Prix in Imola. Leclerc and Sainz hope to give each other enough space to race and aim for a better result at Ferrari’s home races.

Formula 1 F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Ferraris Charles Leclerc in action during the qualifying pool via REUTERS / Giuseppe Cacace

The Ferrari pressure is in the team

On an episode of the podcast, F1 Nation, former Ferrari racing engineer at Felipe Massa, told Rob Smedley, “I can tell you, the Ferrari pressure cooker is like no other pressure cooker. You put a couple of bars in, you’re all the time, especially in public, you’re in the spotlight all the time.

“There is no escape.”

Formula 1 F1 – Pre-Season Testing – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 14, 2021 Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in action while testing REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed

He added, “And when things unfold, they can unfold very, very quickly, and I think the worst thing Carlos could have done, and I can tell you from personal experience with Felipe Massa, the worst thing All you can do is come in a little bit and make a big bold statement to send Charles into the weeds and get number one status or whatever it is.

“That I’m sure that you want that at some point or that both of you will, because if that doesn’t work, the pressure only increases on you. It will be almost insurmountable, the task you have before you, ”he concluded.

The Spaniard is looking forward to the race in Imola

In the post-race interview after the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz said he was happy with the result and hopes to improve in the races to come and knows the results will come.

Sainz said: “It’s pretty good, especially because all in all I had a very strong end to the race. I was very quick on the medium and the hard tires. I got off to a bad start, mainly due to some mistakes, but also because I deliberately wanted to take it a little too easy on Lap 1 just to make sure I got through that Lap 1 and to make sure I got to know the car in dirty ones Air conditions. “

Formula 1 F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Ferraris Charles Leclerc in action during the racing pool via REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed

“It’s a completely new experience, a completely new car, so I wanted to take it easy and make sure I drove the whole race. As soon as I got myself out into the clean air, I was honestly very fast so I won’t complain, I’ll take it as a learning curve and keep improving, ”concluded Sainz.

We’re only a few days away from the second race of the season and Ferrari will hope that both drivers get the most out of the car at Imola and bring home a good result for the team.

What are your predictions for the Maranello-based team for the coming weekend?

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