Carlos Sainz Jr from Spain, driving for Ferrari SF-24, and Charles Leclerc from Monaco, also driving for Ferrari SF-24, battled for position during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Sainz made calculated moves to ensure his teammate did not lose time.
At the start of the race, Leclerc was ahead of Sainz by three positions. However, due to a significant issue with the brakes, Leclerc fell behind George Russell and Sergio Perez. Taking advantage of the situation, Sainz made a daring move on the inside of Turn 1, forcing Leclerc to retreat on the outside.
There were speculations that Sainz, whose contract with Ferrari is not being renewed, would not act in the best interest of the team. However, Sainz rejected these claims, stating that he always approaches racing with his teammate cautiously and leaves enough space for maneuvers.
According to Sainz, the overtake on Leclerc was controlled and safe. He emphasized that he never puts any car at risk and ensures that his overtakes do not make his teammate lose time.
Although Sainz briefly became the lead Ferrari driver on track, he fell behind Leclerc after the team gave preferential treatment to Leclerc during the first pit stops. However, Sainz does not believe he was intentionally overlooked. He sees his extended time on track as a positive, as he was able to maintain good lap times and quickly overtake both Leclerc and Russell to secure a place on the podium. Sainz believes he did not lose significant time in the race in this situation.
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