Realization comes to Leclerc and Sainz: 'We're in the title race this year'

Ferrari was masterful master on Sunday in Bahrain. The Italian team started the season with a one-two punch for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. During the press conference, the duo was immediately asked if they are ready for a battle for the championship between the two Ferraris.

Ferrari competing for the title

"I think it's a very good problem to have," Leclerc reveals. The Monegasque says that before the start of the season, the team was not sure where they would stand. "Now we see that we are actually in the mix to fight for the title so it's amazing!"

Carlos Sainz joins his teammate in saying that he and Leclerc want to fight for the world championship. "It’s still going to be a long year, we still need to make sure that we develop this car well, because at the moment it is a quick car, as Lewis [Hamilton] said, but it also needs to be quick the whole year to keep us in the fight." Sainz explained that he and Leclerc worked together before the race and it was then that they realized they were competing for something bigger.

No points for Red Bull

The fight for the titles currently seems to be mainly between Ferrari and Red Bull Racing. Incidentally, the one-two didn't quite come naturally, as Max Verstappen was on Leclerc's heels for a long time before crashing out from second place. Sergio Perez also crashed out in Bahrain, giving Ferrari a 44-point lead over the Austrian team in the constructors' championship.