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Former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine feels Charles Leclerc has a bit more talent than Carlos Sainz, which seems to have played a role in the team prioritising him over the Spaniard.
The two drivers have been together since 2021. The first season saw Carlos edge out Charles in the points standings. The following two seasons were a completely different story, as Charles Leclerc seemingly held a clear advantage over Carlos Sainz.
There are pockets throughout the season where the Spaniard could have a better weekend and performance output. However, when it comes to the entire season, Leclerc has the edge. This is precisely why Charles Leclerc seems to have been given priority when it comes to finalizing the contracts.
La Gazzetta questioned former Ferrari driver and title challenger Eddie Irvine about the team's move to first finalize the situation with Leclerc and then handle the negotiations with Carlos Sainz. To this, the driver felt that the most significant reason behind something like this happening was because Leclerc had the edge over his teammate. He said,
“It’s clear that Leclerc has a bit more talent. Sainz had good races, he has won, and he was competitive compared to his team-mate, but Charles is clearly the better of the two. The fact that he lacked success last year doesn’t change my opinion. At the end of the season, when the car improved, the Monegasque showed all his value.”
Charles Leclerc's teammate wanted to finalize his contract before the start of the season
Carlos Sainz had made it clear that he wanted to finalize the situation on where he wants to be for 2025 before the 2024 F1 season begins. The driver's contract ends at the end of this season, and with no clarity, he seems to be in limbo at this stage. As quoted by PlanetF1, the Spaniard had said,
“My goal is to start 2024 knowing where I’m going to race in 2025. I wouldn’t like to start the season without knowing my next destination. My priority is to stay at Ferrari for many more years. I’m very happy, both parties are very happy and the objective is to continue, but we have to agree," Sainz said.
He added,
“Obviously I want to renew and I’d like to renew for more than one year, not just two. You know my intentions and honestly I feel perfectly valued by Fred and by the whole Ferrari family in general, I feel loved. Therefore, I will renew if I feel that way and I feel that I am valued. That as a driver that is the main priority. I am convinced that if we both want to, we will reach an agreement on a duration that I am happy with.”
It will be interesting to see if Charles Leclerc's teammate is able to finalize his contract before the start of the season as the countdown to pre-season testing begins.
