“A true gentleman” - Fans react to Carlos Sainz’s post-Monaco comments on Charles Leclerc

F1 fans on social media have reacted to Carlos Sainz showering praise on Charles Leclerc for winning the 2024 F1 Monaco GP. The Spaniard was delighted to see his teammate win his first race on home soil.

Leclerc had a great race weekend in Monaco. He was among the top drivers in all three practice sessions and managed to bag his third pole position in the principality. Despite the race being red-flagged after lap 1, it did not affect Leclerc's position at the front, allowing him to clinch the chequered flag at the end.

While he won the race, Carlos Sainz finished third, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri securing second place.

In the post-race press conference, Sainz expressed how he felt seeing Charles Leclerc win his home race for the first time.

"I think it means more for the fact that being a Ferrari driver, being P3, but especially seeing your team-mate that is Monegasque standing on top of the podium in front of his home crowd, in front of all the tifosi and all the mechanics, I think it's one of the best images I've seen in Formula 1 and extremely happy for him, for the team," he said.

"He deserves it because he's driven at an incredible level this weekend and he's put together a really solid weekend."

Many fans applauded Sainz for being a gentleman and praising his teammate for his first home Grand Prix win. They discussed how happy the Spaniard was for Leclerc.

Here are a few reactions:

"Carlos is a true gentleman. He is genuinely happy for his teammate Charles. I still believe it was a mistake by Ferrari to separate Team Charles/Carlos. They know each other very well, speak the same language and fit well into the Italian culture. They actually form the perfect lineup," a fan wrote.

"Respect!! Real recognize real!!" another exclaimed.

"Gentleman," one praised Sainz.

Some fans also opined that Ferrari made a mistake in letting a talented driver like Sainz go in favor of signing Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

"Carlos has a lot of respect for Charles and they are really good teammates. They race hard but they race fair. Ferrari have made a huge mistake by letting Carlos go," a follower opined.

"And this man [Carlos Sainz] (in) 2025 still doesn't have a F1 seat, how shame when some strong teams still don't want to sign him," added another.

"I’m going to miss these two so much," stated one fan.

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Carlos Sainz shares his views on his rollercoaster of a race at Monaco

While Charles Leclerc had an almost flawless race weekend at Monaco, it was not the case for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard had a rollercoaster of a race, with several ups and downs.

Sainz qualified third for the race but suffered a puncture at the start of the Monaco GP. Thankfully, as multiple incidents brought out the red flag before the pack finished sector one, Sainz had the opportunity to get his position back after changing tires. At the restart, he started from P3 and ended the race in the same position.

Speaking in the post-race interview on the track, the Ferrari driver said:

"It was a tight one and a very bad feeling in lap one which very quickly turned into a really good feeling after getting reinstated in P3. From thereon really, the race pace was as good as we expected, it's just impossible to get past on the streets of Monaco."

After the Monaco GP, Charles Leclerc is in second place in the drivers' standings with 138 points, while Carlos Sainz is in fourth with 108 points.