Carlos Sainz predicts more ‘ding dongs’ with Charles Leclerc in team order clarification

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

Carlos Sainz says his “ding dong” with team-mate Charles Leclerc at the Spanish Grand Prix “will not be the last” flashpoint between the Ferrari drivers during the F1 2024 season.

And he has shot down the suggestion that he disobeyed Ferrari team orders by passing Leclerc in the opening stages of the race in Barcelona.

Carlos Sainz expecting more Charles Leclerc ‘ding dongs’

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Sainz and Leclerc touched at Turn 1 on Lap 3 of the Spanish Grand Prix after the former tried to complete a pass around the outside.

Sainz, who took to the escape road before rejoining, was heard over team radio claiming Leclerc had “forced me off” as Leclerc commented that his team-mate “had closed on me” at the apex.

Tensions were still high after the race as Leclerc claimed the Ferrari drivers had been instructed to “manage the tyres as much as possible” at that stage of the grand prix, with Sainz accusing his team-mate of complaining too much.

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Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Sainz claimed that such flashpoints are inevitable between “two competitive guys”, claiming his relationship with Leclerc remains good.

And he bemoaned the fact that their Spanish GP war of words was played out in public, conceding that was “probably the biggest mistake.”

He said: “With Charles, it’s obviously not the first ding dong and it will not be the last.

“We always have one or two ding dongs a year because it’s completely normal, it’s completely natural when you have two drivers that are sharing the same piece of asphalt for 24 races.

“We’re starting always P1 and P2, P2 and P1, P4 and P5, P5 and P6. There’s starts, there’s strategy, there’s overtaking.

“And with two competitive guys like him and me that, luckily for the team, are sharing the same piece of asphalt at every race, there’s always going to be little ding dongs.

“These little ding dongs are always going to be there. You obviously want to keep them to the minimum.

“And the important thing is that after four years with Charles, the relationship has always been good.

“We’ve always solved these little ding dongs by ourselves, without the help of the team principals, always discussing them among each other.

“Sometimes I would like to keep it out of the media because it doesn’t help any of us.

“This is probably the biggest mistake, but apart from that we’re doing the best we can.”

Sainz rejected the notion that he broke a pre-race agreement by attempting to pass Leclerc, pointing to the fact that he let his team-mate past when asked later in the race.

He added: “Obviously, if I did the move, it’s because I believe there wasn’t an agreement.

“If there would have been a team order, I’ve been the first one [to follow them].

“And you saw it in the race – there was a team order to let him by and immediately I let [him] by, so when there’s a team order I follow it.

“I’ve always been the same. And I’ve been super pragmatic and super obedient with this team. In my four years here, I’ve followed every single team order that has been given to me.

“And if I went for a move, obviously it’s because I believe – and I knew – there was no team order to hold position.

“And then we can sit and discuss whether it was the right move or whatever, but apart from that I’m not going to comment anything.”