Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has named the best qualifier on the F1 grid, and he has surprisingly left out Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Ferrari signed Sainz from McLaren to partner him with Charles Leclerc, and the relationship between the two drivers has been phenomenal. He has repeatedly praised his teammate, and now, he has delivered a massive statement about him.
According to the Spaniard, Leclerc is one of the greatest drivers on the grid. He praised his incredible consistency in qualifying, and claimed Charles is the best qualifier on the grid.
Speaking to BBC, Sainz said, “If you want to test your qualifying speed against anyone, it is against Charles Leclerc.
“I think he is the best qualifier on the grid. He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest talent in Formula 1 now. And I am actually getting to learn now why he is performing at such a high level.”
That is massive praise indeed, given that Sainz didn’t go for elite drivers Hamilton and Verstappen. Leclerc is highly consistent in qualification. In fact, he was on pole for the last two races in Monaco and in Baku. The new car is doing wonders in one-lap format, as is the pace Leclerc is able to drive at.
Even though Leclerc has been able to deliver two pole positions, he couldn’t capitalize on both. He couldn’t even start the race in Monaco, while he fell from first to fourth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Complete skillset
Sainz also highlighted Leclerc’s all-round abilities, and stated that all of them help him be the driver he is.
“It is not only speed. He also has a very good work ethic, he is very good at team building. He has a lot of strengths that make him such a strong driver,” Sainz said.
“I am loving the challenge, to be honest. Because I know there is no one better than him probably as a single lap with a Ferrari Formula 1 car,” he concluded.
With F1 heading to France next, Leclerc might be going for a hat-trick of poles. This time, he will look to actually deliver a massive result for Ferrari and put them firmly ahead of McLaren. Sainz will also play a massive part in taking points for Ferrari.
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