Charles and Carlos: “Working together to end on a high”

It’s time for the final race of the season and Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are as keen as ever to do well, even if the Scuderia’s results at this track have been less than brilliant. The team is in the running to finish second in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships, with Leclerc currently equal on 290 points with Sergio Perez.

Teamwork. As always, the team will be counting on good teamwork to achieve these goals. “I have always been a loyal teammate,” said Carlos in his meeting with journalists. “And I will do all I can to help Charles if he needs it.” Leclerc certainly sounded motivated. “Obviously, it won’t be easy, but we will certainly try. This season has had its ups and downs, but it must be seen in perspective. Compared to the past two years, we have made an incredible step forward and it would be nice to bring home both second places.”

Season summary. Before heading off for the traditional end-of-year photo with the whole team, both drivers took stock of this year. “It was definitely nice to be fighting for wins again at nearly every race,” said Charles. “It was the goal we had set ourselves and now we must continue to work to take the steps that we are still missing and that has to be our target for 2023. In this area, I think stability is paying off. This year we have improved a lot and I’m sure that with the whole team pulling as always, together we can reach the goals we have set ourselves.” Carlos reckoned this year had not been easy. “There’s no doubt the F1-75 is a competitive car, but my season was affected by some limiting factors, such as the four races where I didn’t even complete the first lap,” he said. “However, I cannot be disappointed, as I got my first win and, after a difficult start, I reached the level of driving that I wanted and now I can say I feel completely comfortable in the cockpit.”

Sebastian. Leclerc was also asked for a comment about Sebastian Vettel, who is retiring from Formula 1 after this race. If we talk about the driver, he is a great champion who took four world titles and did great things, including with Ferrari,” affirmed the Monegasque. “But it’s above all as a person that he is special. When we were teammates, he was always very supportive, open to help me based on all his experience. But even before I was alongside him in the garage, I knew he was particularly attentive to others. In fact, when I was still in Formula 2, I had begun doing some work in the simulator for the Scuderia, but I didn’t think the race drivers knew about that or understood its value. But then one day, I found a thank you letter signed by him. It was very gratifying and the two seasons I spent alongside him were very special from a human point of view. I will very much miss his presence in the paddock.”