Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz sat in the back of a car talking on the way to the Bahrain International Circuit.
There was a buzz in the air as Formula 1 prepared for the first race weekend of the 2024 season, fresh off a long winter, team season launches and a silly season signing that changed the driver market. On February 1, news broke that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes for Ferrari for the 2025 season, costing Sainz his seat. It wasn’t about the Spaniard not performing – how do you say no to a seven-time world champion?
On the way to the Bahrain circuit, Leclerc stared into the camera with a slight smile. “Tell me, Carlos,” he said to his teammate before a stuffed chili pepper appeared on screen. A fan had given it to Sainz, a nod to one of his nicknames. Sainz said: “I want to give this to you, from my fan to me, for you, so that you will remember me for the rest of your life.”
Leclerc pressed the chili to his face and said: “A chiliiiii.” Sainz added: “For our post-teammate era.” Leclerc stopped rolling the chili and his smile disappeared as he looked at his teammate.
“Come on, we’re just starting the season,” he responded with a small laugh. Sainz said: “I’m already getting emotional.”
Together, Leclerc and Sainz formed a formidable driving duo that helped Ferrari challenge for its first Constructors’ Championship since 2008, trailing first-place McLaren by 21 points. The 2024 season was the strongest of their respective F1 careers, with Leclerc taking three wins (including an emotional home win in Monaco and a team home win at the Italian GP) and twelve podium finishes. Sainz achieved two wins (one just 16 days after surgery) and eight podiums.
Their working relationship is strong, although tensions have flared, such as after the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But on a personal level, the two form a beloved duo known to fans as C². Ferrari has put them through countless viral challenges over the years, and the pair have become a meme on social media. Their personalities have shone and although they will both still be in the paddock with Sainz at Williams in 2025, this is the end of a special driver couple.
“I am sure that even if he is not in the red next year, we will most likely travel to the races together to spend some time together,” Leclerc said in Abu Dhabi, “because our relationship is really good. “
“It’s a mix between a chili… and a carrot” 😅 @Carlostainz55 pours his chili @Charles_Leclerc 🙏 pic.twitter.com/4AHU2Xl4h0
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 2, 2024
It all started four years ago.
Ferrari announced in May 2020 that Sainz would replace four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. The news came after Daniel Ricciardo was confirmed as the Spaniard’s replacement at McLaren, Sainz’s home base for two years. The Woking team then led the battle in midfield and finished third in the standings in 2020 (just 117 points behind second-place Red Bull). Sainz’s breakthrough year came with the papaya, when he took his first podium in 2019.
However, one of the lasting memories of Sainz’s McLaren chapter is the way he bonded with the team, especially his then teammate Lando Norris. The duo formed what is still known among fans today as ‘Carlando’, the term even popping up at races like the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
Re-establishing that close bond of friendship is rare, especially in an unforgiving sport where the driver market can be fluid. But Sainz and Leclerc quickly hit it off and became so close that many fans online wondered if it was a PR stunt by Ferrari. Comments like this continued for years, even as frustrations flared on track.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz prepare for a match in the paddock during previews ahead of the 2023 Australian GP. (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
“To be honest, I sometimes see on social media that people think it’s not true and that it’s all PR. And honestly, it disappoints me because sometimes people can’t understand that we have a professional relationship, and that in that professional relationship we go through ups and downs,” Sainz said in Qatar. “No matter how competitive we are, we will always have problems on track, because again, if he were P1 and I was P8 or the other way around, we would never have problems, but unfortunately, or let’s say fortunately for the team, we find us always at the same point on the track, and we have our little problems here and there.
“But we also have a personal relationship, and as much as the professional relationship goes through ups and downs, the personal relationship, I can tell you, it’s always been very, very good.”
Leclerc and Sainz have clashed on track in recent seasons, but competed within the lines imposed by Ferrari (such as at the 2024 United States Grand Prix where they finished 1-2, the Italian Grand Prix of 2023 and the Las Vegas GP this year).
@f1 the ferraris made sure we all enjoyed ourselves 🤺🤺 #f1 #formula1 #f1sprint #usgp #ferrari #carlossainz #charlesleclerc
They are allowed to fight. And as Sainz noted, they are fighting for the same high-scoring positions, which is in stark contrast to his spells at McLaren, Renault and Toro Rosso (now RB). He didn’t fight for wins when he competed for previous teams, and none of those stops brought the same pressure that being a Ferrari driver brings. After all, it is the oldest team on the grid and a prestigious and legendary brand.
Sometimes friction arises in the professional relationship, such as during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Leclerc gave a fiery radio message, saying: “Yes, I’ve done my job, but I’ve been nice all the time.” Reluctant to go into detail, team boss Fred Vasseur felt Leclerc’s radio comments were about the difficult situation, and not about one specific moment.
However, communication seems to be a hallmark of their relationship. They are able to separate the professional from the personal, but they can also quickly move past misunderstandings rather than letting it drag on into another race weekend.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz dressed as cowboys in the paddock ahead of the 2023 United States Grand Prix. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Leclerc said in Qatar: “Whatever happened in Vegas, we talked about it, and we are all good, which is the most important thing. I had no doubts about that because we have always had a very good relationship with Carlos and we have had races where sometimes things didn’t go exactly as we wanted, but the most important thing is that we talk about it and we move forward.”
Leclerc was later asked at the same press conference what was said that made him feel comfortable trusting Ferrari and Sainz. He again doubled down on the relationship and communication aspect. “Sometimes I crossed the limits, and sometimes he did,” Leclerc said. “And then all it takes is a conversation between the two of us. And we look ourselves in the eye, and we’ve known each other for a long time. We understand each other very quickly.”
Next Sunday, once the checkered flag falls, the cameras will be turned off and the debriefings will be completed, that’s it. Sainz will drive in the post-season test with Williams, his new home, and it will be the end of an era in red. Although it will close the chapter on Sainz and Leclerc’s professional relationship, it is difficult to imagine that the dynamic duo C² will cease to exist. This relationship, like any friendship, is different from ‘Carlando’.
Leclerc and Carlos Sainz celebrate in the parc ferme during the Monaco GP on May 26, 2024. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
And as Leclerc said, Sainz will only be working “20 meters away in the paddock”. But that doesn’t mean he won’t miss his teammate. His helmet for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend is indicative of it.
Etched across the top of the glittering helmet is “mucha5 gracia5 Carlos” – a nod to Sainz’s car number, 55.
“(Leclerc) is one of those guys that I know in the future when I’m not in Formula 1, I’ll look back and say I’m glad I met him, and I’m glad I raced with him, and I am happy that I can have many good memories of him,” said Sainz in Qatar. “And in these four years at Ferrari I have enjoyed every moment with him, even the difficult moments. As tough as they have been, I’m pretty sure that in 20 to 30 years I will laugh at them and look back with pride at what we achieved together.”
Top Photos: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire, Chris Graythen/Getty Images, Clive Mason – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images; Design: Meech Robinson/The Athletics