Leclerc vs. Sainz: from social factions to the numbers of dualism at Ferrari

Dualism has always existed in sports, and Formula 1 is no exception. From the rivalry between Senna and Prost to the recent antagonism between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Dualism in sports has always existed and still exists. Formula 1 this is no exception. From the rivalry between Seine AND Simple until the very last antagonism between Lewis Hamilton AND Max Verstappen. With the advent of social media, the form of toxic communication between rival factions is gradually increasing. The new element is presented by the fans of the two riders Scuderia Ferrari. A global clash, sometimes more violent than this Charles AND Carlos they brought it to life on the track. The first real hand-to-hand combat between the red flag bearers during the Italian Grand Prix further heightened the emotions of fans on social networks. In the recent past, fan support has changed radically. Until a few years ago, the red men’s mantra matched the philosophy of Drake, for whom the main thing is that the single player from his team won regardless of the pilot. It can be stated without a shadow of a doubt that in relation to the geographical reference zone, Leclerc’s victory has a greater share than Sainz’s victory, and vice versa. In Spain, Carlos Sainz is considered sacrificial victim while at other altitudes it is believed that Leclerc was damaged in several circumstances in favor of an Iberian teammate. A debate that the actors themselves cannot escape. After Sainz’s podium at Monza mother of a Madrid pilot he winked tweet user who stated verbatim: “Do you know what Carlos has that Leclerc will never have? Honor” Charles’ social reaction was not long in coming: he liked an eloquent tweet from one of his supporters

Tweet in which a Leclerc fan associates the word “honor” with Charles’ victory at Monza in 2019

Once upon a time, it didn’t matter to the “fans” whether Prost or Mansell, Alesi or Berger, Raikkonen or Massa won, Ferrari won. At the same time, it cannot be denied that some drivers, due to their exploits on the track and their character, rightly enjoy a larger following than less flashy drivers, both in terms of driving and character. In short, comparing teammates can only be trusted with cold numbers.

Leclerc vs. Sainz meeting – Photo: @robertofunoat

From a comparison of the results of Charles and Carlos from 2021 to the present day, it turns out that the Monegasque’s performances were qualitatively superior to those of Carlos. It is surprising that after almost three seasons the drivers have scored the same number of points, given that this is a credit to the Madrid driver’s consistency.. The number of podiums is also almost the same, however Leclerc’s record is heavily affected by questionable strategies and technical failures while leading some races (Spain and Azerbaijan, 2022). The comparison in the driver standings is now even in the sense that Sainz was ahead of Charles on his Ferrari debut, with the talent from the Principality of Monaco putting him well ahead of his teammate last season. As of today, Sainz is only six points ahead of Leclerc in the individual standings (117 vs. 111). What’s clear in the dualism between the two Ferrari standard-bearers is that the son of a two-time world rally champion sets the bar for his teammate’s performances.. The tense defense of the podium at the last Grand Prix of Monza was not only due to the joy of finishing on the best podium of the season. It was the Madrid man’s first podium of the season, but more importantly, he slightly increased his lead in the standings over his teammate. If Leclerc finds himself at the center of the Scuderia Ferrari project for years to come, it would be a good idea for the Spaniard to sit down at the negotiating table for a possible contract extension while being able to claim that he is two places ahead of his teammate. year out of three. Unless there is a big gap in performance, it is safe to say that clashes between the two Ferrari drivers will be repeated because, in addition to track position, the long-term future will be at stake, especially for Sainz.

Cover photo of www.ferrari.com

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