Qatar GP: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz hold clear the air talks after Las Vegas drama at Ferrari

28 November 2024, 08:42 | Updated: 28 November 2024, 17:35

Charles Leclerc says he has cleared the air with Carlos Sainz ahead of this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix after the Ferrari driver expressed frustration with his team and team-mate at last Sunday's race in Las Vegas.

Leclerc was heard using a series of expletives on team radio as he bemoaned his race in Sin City, which saw him finish one place behind his podium-finishing team-mate in fourth.

The Ferrari drivers had traded positions three times already before the final round of pit stops last Sunday, when Leclerc was running ahead. But the Monegasque then dropped back behind Sainz soon after he exited his final stop.

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And while not keen to dwell on last Sunday as he faced the media on Thursday in Qatar, Leclerc said he and Sainz had talked about what happened and there were no problems between them.

"I don't want to go back to what happened in Vegas," said Leclerc.

"The last two races of the season and we need to do absolutely everything in order to get that Constructors' Championship. That's all that matters and whatever happened in Vegas, we discussed about it.

"I have a really good relationship with Carlos and we've sometimes had races where things don't go exactly the way we want, but the most important thing is that we discuss it and we go forward.

"It's very clear for both of us that we just want to win the constructors' and it's by working as a team that we achieve that. I'm sure there won't be any problems with it."

Asked if they had therefore cleared the air, Leclerc confirmed: "Exactly."

Ferrari are chasing their first constructors' title since 2008 and trail McLaren by just 24 points heading into this weekend's penultimate round at the Lusail International Circuit.

Sainz: We know how to talk and move on from incidents

It is not the first time in their four years as team-mates that the pair have experienced a flashpoint on track and then voiced frustration towards the other, either on team radio or through the media.

But Sainz says their strong working relationship allows them to talk through such controversies away from the heat of battle in order to move forwards, which he says is what happened after Vegas.

"It always happens with us. We go through some misunderstandings that obviously in the heat of the moment we are quite vocal about, and we feel very frustrated about," said Sainz, who has two races for the team left before he leaves for Williams ahead of Lewis Hamilton's arrival as Leclerc's new team-mate.

"After a couple of days have gone by and you can see everything with a bit more perspective, relativise everything a bit more, give yourself a bit of time to analyse things and to conclude what happened, then you realise, when you talk through things, you can achieve good things, understand them and put them behind.

"That's the exercise that we have been having to do for years, because we are always sharing the same piece of tarmac and always fighting each other on track, as we are driving the same car and we are equally on pace.

"We have gone through this so often that we know how to talk and then move on from it.

Sky Sports F1's live Qatar GP schedule

Friday November 29
9.55am: F1 Academy Practice One
11am: F2 Practice
1pm: Qatar GP Practice One (practice starts at 1.30pm)
2.55pm: F1 Academy Practice Two
4.05pm: F2 Qualifying
5pm: Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying (qualifying starts at 5.30pm)*

Saturday November 30
12.10pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
1pm: Qatar GP Sprint build-up
2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT
3.30pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
4pm: F2 Sprint Race
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: F1 Academy: Race One
8.45pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook

Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Feature Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted's Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1's season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Get Sky Sports or stream with NOW.

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