'Difference in driving style between Sainz and Leclerc potentially a big problem'

In 2021 Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will step into the new SF21 of Ferrari. A new driver duo on the grid at one of the biggest teams is always interesting, but even more so when we compare their driving styles.

Aggressive Leclerc

Detecting a driver's driving style in Formula 1 is not easy. You quickly notice when someone is a bit more aggressive with his car, but deciding who is a fan of understeer or oversteer and who is a bit better or worse in terms of tyre management is sometimes hard to distinguish. With the Ferrari duo, however, it's abundantly clear.

Where teams like McLaren and Red Bull Racing choose two drivers with similar driving styles, Ferrari has a duo that might actually complement each other at their weak spots. The question is in which direction to develop the car? One can get in the way of the other.

Charles Leclerc is the more aggressive of the two. In qualifying, Sebastian Vettel said he had no idea how Leclerc could be so fast. The Monegasque flies into every corner on one lap, but that comes at a price. Indeed, with the lesser SF1000, he found out in 2020 that he might also be asking a little too much of his tyres in the race.

This is perhaps not surprising either, as since 2020 Leclerc has also changed his approach. He wanted to attack each session as a qualifying session, so he already knew better how to drive on the limit. This helps him with his great qualifying, but during the race it actually costs him. He will have to weigh up what he thinks is more important in 2021.

Mr Sunday

Carlos Sainz is quite the opposite. On Saturday the Spaniard doesn't necessarily make a bad impression, but against none of the other drivers, he didn't really make a big difference. At Renault, he even had a tough time with Nico Hulkenberg and he also lost to Lando Norris on Saturday.

Sainz is not as aggressive as most young talents, but he has an incredibly good feeling for his tyres. He can make strategies work on Sunday that are actually doomed to fail. This is why Norris could never beat him in the standings over two years. ...something that Daniil Kvyat also failed to do.

Who takes the lead at Ferrari?

There are two major differences here, however. On the one hand, Leclerc will be working towards a car that demands less from the tyres, so that he can use his car more in the battle. Sainz on the other hand will want to demand more from the tyres for more grip because he can save those tyres for longer than others.

With Leclerc already in the team for two years and the last year as the clear frontrunner at Ferrari, the SF21 will be in Leclerc's favour at the start of the season. The Monegasque is seen as one of the greatest junior talents but faces a huge challenge. Carlos Sainz is not an easy opponent.

Since his arrival at McLaren, the Spaniard has gained a lot of confidence and he will take that with him to the factory. Many people expect him to play second fiddle, but with his own ambitions, he will not settle for that role. How the car will change will say a lot about the internal relationships and the position of newcomer Sainz.