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“Leclerc Capable of Exceptional Things”: Only 1 Week After Carlos Sainz Was Snubbed for Team Orders, Charles Hailed by Frederic Vasseur Yet Again

Published 07/17/2023, 11:30 AM EDT

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Within one F1 team, when one driver is outperforming the other, it is common to see the team being biased towards the former. But in Ferrari’s case this year, Carlos Sainz is driving better than Charles Leclerc. But for some reason, the team is still favoring Leclerc over Sainz. And that is not just some theory. It is very evident in the way Ferrari Boss Frederic Vasseur has praised the Monegasque.

At the British GP this year, Leclerc out-qualified Sainz by a very close margin of 0.012 seconds. But in the race, Sainz was quicker than Leclerc and he communicated that to his team, asking for a position swap. But the team denied it. This left a sour taste in the Spaniard’s mouth as he couldn’t believe the team’s orders. And to make things worse for him, the French Team Principal has publicly hailed Leclerc for his capabilities.

via Imago

Vasseur said, as quoted by Motorsport.com, “Leclerc is capable of exceptional things. sometimes he does things that you don’t know where he can get them out of. Charles is a driver who always thinks about winning. Our car is behind RBR, but he’s still there thinking he’s trying to win.”

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So, for Sainz, how he is treated within the team might remain the same, not in his favor. Along with sidelining Sainz’s capabilities, Vasseur also spoke about the rumors of Alex Albon joining the Maranello outfit.

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Frederic Vasseur Addresses Rumors of Alex Albon Replacing Carlos Sainz At Ferrari

Alex Albon has been a revelation in the Williams. After the team brought in new upgrades, Albon has been finishing in the Top 10 twice. And at Silverstone, he finished in front of both Ferraris. Following this, Vasseur praised the Thai racing driver in the media. And naturally, rumors of Albon signing for Ferrari and replacing Carlos Sainz started popping up.

But, Vasseur has quashed those rumors. He said, as quoted by Motorsport.com, “I don’t know where this story came from. I’ve had Albon in the past, we’re friends. But… if a journalist asks me if Alexander is currently doing a good job, I say yes. But that doesn’t mean I’m interested in taking him.”

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Sainz may not be getting a lot of support compared to Leclerc. But at least his place in Ferrari looks safe for now. If he can weave some 2022 Silverstone kind of magic at the Hungarian GP next, things within the team might get better for him.

WATCH THIS STORY | Max Verstappen steals Lewis Hamilton’s highly desired privilege while the rumors of Charles Leclerc moving to Red Bull spark a heated debate

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Written by:

Yash Kotak

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Yash is a F1 writer at EssentiallySports. With a strong passion for communicating through written word and a keen interest in the world of motorsports, he thoroughly enjoys being a fan of F1 and covering it for other fans. Ever since he watched the 'INSIDE TRACKS' episode covering the 2018 German Grand Prix, he has fallen in love with the intriguingly complex world of F1.
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Edited by:

Aishwary Gaonkar