Ferrari never had to explicitly say that Charles Leclerc was its No.1 driver, its Golden Boy. It has always been evident since he joined the Scuderia in 2019. It was always ‘Charles will win a race for Ferrari,’ or ‘Charles will win Ferrari’s next championship.’ Not once since 2021 has Carlos Sainz even been considered an equal. Who gave the Tifosi its Monza dream recently? Sainz. Who broke Red Bull’s seemingly unbreakable winning streak? Sainz. Who’s throwing Leclerc’s No.1 status at Ferrari into troubled waters? Carlos Sainz.

Ferrari hasn’t been at its best for a while now. The past few seasons have been challenging, and 2023 has been no different. Knowing that the SF-23 is probably only the third-best car, Sainz recently said the best Ferrari can fight for in a race is 5th and 6th place. As true as that may be, Leclerc gave his thoughts on the subject. He said, “My goal is to fight for wins, not fighting for 5th, 6th place.” While he’s still trying to reach that goal, Sainz achieved that and more at the Singapore GP! With his first win of the season done and dusted, Sainz is now in hot pursuit of the top dog at Ferrari.

What’s changed for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari?

Since F1 returned after the summer break, we’re witnessing a new and improved Sainz. Before the break, Leclerc was still the favored driver at Ferrari. That mostly came down to his qualifying performances. In the 12 races in the first half, Leclerc had the upper hand in qualifying on 8 occasions. This usually made Ferrari favor him during the race, too, even if Sainz was the faster one on Sunday. F1 journalist Robert Chinchero explained, “Charles has the talent to put himself [in front] at the key moment. [Sainz] has to be in a position to be in front. If he’s always the one behind, the situation gets complicated.” But in the past three weekends, the tides have turned.

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Ferrari introduced upgrades in Zandvoort—the first race after the break. While Leclerc struggled with the car’s balance, Sainz managed to line up sixth on the grid. An overachievement, Sainz did one better on Sunday and finished fifth. In Monza, he got pole and fended Leclerc off in the dying stages of the race to claim the final podium place. Singapore needs no explanation because, in the words of Sainz, it was his “smoothest operation in Ferrari” from start to finish. These three weekends have been a determining factor in changing fortunes at Ferrari.

On the F1 Nation Podcast, host Tom Clarkson said, “Relative to Charles Leclerc, he is now Ferrari’s No.1 guy, Carlos, or has been since the break.” Former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa further discussed Leclerc’s apparent lack of confidence in the car. He said, “If you look back at the Spanish GP, where he was struggling with the car, Ferrari brought a big upgrade there. Since Ferrari brought these upgrades, it seems like Charles is having more difficulty with his driving style and finding himself comfortable.” The SF-23 works better in an understeer setup, which suits Sainz but not so much Leclerc. 

2 Reasons Make Carlos Sainz More “Valuable Than Charles Leclerc” Amid Rumors of Changing Loyalties

In Singapore, as quoted by The Race, Sainz said, “I feel more at one with the car since the beginning of the season. Last year, that wasn’t the case, and I had to change things with my driving and adapting and tuning the car to my liking.” Opening up about his upturn in form, he said, “Having the time to switch off [during the break] but at the same time to analyze and to put together everything into the second half of the season is helping. That’s why these last few races have been a step forward.” Something’s indeed off-kilter in the Leclerc camp, but that doesn’t mean things haven’t improved in Sainz’s garage. For now—with his current form and championship lead—the cards are firmly in Sainz’s hand. And Leclerc couldn’t be more disappointed.

The Singapore GP elicited mixed feelings in Ferrari

On a street circuit, qualifying is of utmost importance. If this would’ve been the first half of the season, the odds would’ve likely been in Leclerc’s favor. It looked like the Monegasque would get the upper hand as he navigated through the Marina Bay Circuit on his final flying lap. But Sainz narrowly edged him out and ensured he’d be closest to Turn 1 on Sunday. A race executed to perfection—with a masterclass of a tactical strategy—Sainz achieved his second career win. Although his side of the garage couldn’t have been happier, Leclerc couldn’t have been more disheartened.

Starting in P3, Leclerc was on a different tire strategy compared to Sainz. While he got off the line well, a bad pit stop practically ruined any chances of a podium. Ultimately, he crossed the line fourth, a whopping 20 seconds behind his teammate. A P1 and a P4 don’t sound too bad, but it wasn’t the result Leclerc wanted. After the race, he said, “It means a lot for the team to win this race after all the hard work. It’s a great reward for all our work this year as a team. But I cannot hide my disappointment as I wanted a better result today. But it’s up to me to do a better job [in qualifying].”

Watch This Story: What has become an Incessant Problem for Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz in Ferrari’s F1 Challenger? 

What do you think? Does Carlos Sainz now have the bragging rights at Ferrari?