Carlos Sainz Sr has criticised Ferrari’s decision to not call off the fight between his son and Charles Leclerc in the closing stages of the Italian Grand Prix, hitting out at the side’s inconsistency when it comes to delivering team orders this year.
Having been passed by the Red Bulls, Sainz and Leclerc were left to contest the third step on the podium during the final laps.
Leclerc appeared to have gained the high ground on his team-mate into Turn 1 on Lap 47, but the Monegasque driver ran in too deep, allowing Sainz to regain the place back into Turn 4, despite both drivers cutting across the Variante della Roggia chicane.
The Ferraris almost came to blows on the final lap when Sainz moved late under braking at Turn 1, forcing Leclerc to lock up and change direction, cutting the chicane.
Nevertheless, both SF-23 cars ran to the end, with Sainz pipping Leclerc to third to finally score his first podium of the 2023 season.
“I more or less knew what the movie was going to be like, except maybe the last laps, which I didn’t expect,” Sainz Snr told DAZN on Sunday. “I knew that the two Red Bulls were going to arrive very strong, and that Charles was going to be there.
“It’s been a weekend to be very happy. From minute one he has been there and making a podium with Ferrari in Monza is a very good result.”
After narrowly preserving his superiority as the lead Ferrari following Leclerc’s initial attack, Sainz radioed in to suggest maintaining positions to the end.
While Leclerc was informed to keep things clean, he was given permission to battle Sainz to the end, marking a complete reversal of Ferrari’s stance in the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix when it informed Sainz to hold position behind his team-mate.
The decision to not use team orders in the final laps at Monza left Sainz Snr perplexed.
“It’s curious. Sometimes they decide some things, sometimes others. It is he who has to ask and understand the strategies, why sometimes they can attack each other and other times not.”
However, Sainz Sr, formerly a two-time WRC Champion, acknowledged that he prefers racing to be conducted without the need for team orders to be used at any stage.
“I am left with the result and third place. Now that it has happened, I prefer it to be like this, without any type of order or anything. Deserved. Congratulations,” he added.
Sainz’s third-place finish at Monza was only Ferrari’s fourth podium of the year amid an inconsistent campaign for the Maranello camp.
However, the Spaniard’s rostrum appearance and Leclerc’s fourth place have enabled Ferrari to move above Aston Martin into third place in the Constructors’ Championship.
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