Charles Leclerc left ‘very angry’ with reaction to ‘two second’ Carlos Sainz clip

Caught on camera appearing to ignore Carlos Sainz after his team-mate won the Mexican Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc is “very angry” with people’s snap judgments.

Leclerc was notably frustrated after qualifying at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez when he finished in fourth place while Sainz grabbed pole position.

Charles Leclerc: People judge on two seconds of coverage

The Monegasque driver launched a sweary rant, but one that was aimed at himself. “S***. S***. F****** s*** lap,” he lamented to his race engineer Bryan Bozzi. “F****** s*** lap!”

He worked his way up to second place in the Grand Prix behind Sainz only for the Spaniard to complain that Leclerc was making him push too hard.

“My opinion is that we are pushing too hard, absolutely no need for the team,” Sainz said over the radio.

It was a message that Leclerc was not made aware of but it formed some of the basis for speculation that the eight-time Grand Prix winner was not happy his team-mate.

Parking his Ferrari behind the P3 board having lost out on second when he made a mistake that allowed Lando Norris through, Leclerc walked past Sainz as he was taking his helmet off and seemed to barely greet him.

Social media was alight with talk of tension between the team-mates.

But asked about that by Sky Deutschland‘s Timo Glock when the German interviewed him a week later in Brazil, Leclerc voiced his displeasure at people making snap judgements.

“I’m very happy you brought it up,” he told Glock, “because I’m very angry with what I’ve seen everywhere. People judge on two seconds of coverage.

“And actually before that, I went to see Carlos and there was no tension because I don’t even know what he was requesting at the beginning of the race.”

F1 2024: Team-mate head-to-head stats

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

This is not the first time Leclerc has addressed speculation of simmering tensions between the team-mates.

Clashing at the Spanish Grand Prix, Leclerc wasn’t impressed with Sainz’s antics with the Spaniard replying to that: “It’s too many times that he complains after the race about something.”

They were at it again at Silverstone, this time in qualifying where Leclerc felt Sainz had wrecked his lap: “Nice Carlos, nice, good overtake in the last corner.”

There have been other niggles during the campaign, but Leclerc has insisted more than once that too much has been made of it.

“I am quite active on social media, so I see what’s been said all around,” Leclerc told Motorsport.com. “It’s blown out of proportion, I think, with Carlos. We have a great relationship.”

It’s a relationship, at least as team-mates, that will end in December after Abu Dhabi when Sainz leaves Ferrari to join Williams. Leclerc will welcome Lewis Hamilton as his new team-mate.

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