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Ferrari has a brilliant driver lineup in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. In what could even be termed as a Ying-and-Yang partnership, the two drivers complement each other brilliantly.
On one side, we have Leclerc, a vociferous talent who stands out in the entire grid. On the other side, we have Sainz, a driver whose grit, determination, and hard work have propelled him to this point in his career.
Having said that, if we look at the reports throughout the winter break, there appears to be a growing sentiment that Sainz's contract extension hasn't been smooth. While Leclerc already appears to be a done deal and will be with Ferrari on a lucrative long-term contract, Sainz's future with the team looks unclear.
The reason behind that seems to be Ferrari's insistence on giving the Spaniard a short-term contract, while he predictably does not want to be treated that way. Sainz joined the team in 2021 and has won two races since then in a period of Max Verstappen dominance.
Ferrari would be making a mistake if it decided to break up its current driver lineup.
Carlos Sainz has proved himself
A look at the three years that Carlos Sainz has put together at Ferrari as Charles Leclerc's teammate makes you wonder why his seat is even questioned. If we look at the three seasons of the two drivers together, there are a few things that stand out.
The first is that Sainz hasn't been outclassed by Leclerc. The latter has outscored Sainz in two of their three seasons together, but both drivers have great moments in these years. Sainz notably picked up wins in 2022 and 2023 while also putting together a brilliant drive in Singapore.
He might not have the elite talent that a team like Ferrari would need. However, if you already have Charles Leclerc in the other car, why would you need another elite driver? Sainz fits the bill and does his job perfectly.
The Charles Leclerc-Carlos Sainz partnership is complimentary
One has to understand that when an F1 team is built with the aim of fighting for the title in the future, there are a few things that are taken into consideration.
The first of those considerations is that you can't have two elite drivers in the same team fighting for the title. It leads to tensions and disrupts the equilibrium of the team.
You need one elite driver and one who is always there to pick up the pieces when the lead driver falters. This is where Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz work perfectly, and tinkering with what works is just not what Ferrari needs right now.
What would be a better alternative?
The most important question Ferrari needs to answer if they remove Sainz from the team because he doesn't want to be a support cast is: who would want to join? Are there readily available alternatives on the F1 grid? The answer to this might be yes, but one can't be sure.
Could Alex Albon fit the role? What about the Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly? What if a Lando Norris fits the bill? Or a Daniel Ricciardo? These options might or might not work.
The current system with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz works, so why mess around with it?
