- Charles Leclerc finished in Sin City behind Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz
- The Monegasque was furious at having to play the ‘nice’ and ‘respectful’ role again
- His swear words indicate a possible feud with Ferrari’s new man Lewis Hamilton
Charles Leclerc launched a diatribe after finishing fourth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, in what his new Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton may see as a fiery warning.
The Monegasque driver was on course for a podium finish in Sin City but missed out after being overtaken by Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished third behind Mercedes duo George Russell and Hamilton.
Hamilton, 39, will partner Leclerc at the Scuderia from the start of next season, ending his prolific 12-year spell with the Silver Arrows.
Leclerc, who started behind Sainz on the grid, quickly overtook both Pierre Gasly and then his Ferrari teammate and secured a promising position in the early stages of the race.
After the pair were called into the pits, Leclerc came out just ahead of the Spaniard and was instructed by the team that Sainz would not overtake or put pressure on him.
But the driver was left baffled as Sainz put his pedal to the floor and raced past him into P3, claiming an advantage he would hold until the end of the race.
Charles Leclerc launched a diatribe after finishing fourth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
His tirade can be seen as an ominous warning for Ferrari’s rookie Lewis Hamilton
Leclerc was furious at having to play nice ‘all the time’ with teammate Carlos Sainz
“Maybe try it in Spanish,” Leclerc told Ferrari engineer Bryan Bozzi, emphasizing that Sainz had not followed his instructions.
After the race he delivered an insulting tirade over Ferrari’s radio, clearly furious about his role at Ferrari alongside Sainz, who will soon be leaving for Williams.
While Bozzi thanked Leclerc for ‘doing his job’, the 27-year-old said: ‘Yes, I did my job.
“But be nice, fuck me all the time. All the damn time.
“It’s not even being nice, it’s just being respectful. I know I should shut up, but at some point it’s always the same, so…oh my fucking God.”
When his voice seemed to disappear, Bozzi asked Leclerc to pick up the phone again, which only seemed to enrage the driver further.
“Pick up whatever the hell you want. And the radio is on, I’m sorry,” he continued.
Tension between Ferrari teammates has been high this season and the arrival of seven-time world champion Hamilton will not give Leclerc any confidence about his role at the Scuderia.
The 27-year-old left the pits ahead of Sainz, but was quickly overtaken by his Ferrari teammate
Hamilton took second place on the podium and celebrated with race winner George Russell
Sainz, who finished third on the podium, will leave Ferrari to join Williams from next season
Hamilton, who left Mercedes in the hope that a new environment can take him a step closer to an elusive eighth F1 world title, will fully expect to be Ferrari’s No. 1 next season, which undoubtedly spells bad news for Leclerc given his own championship prospects.
It appears that after struggling to find a balance with Sainz this season, Leclerc will start next season with Hamilton determined not to play against Mr Nice Guy at Ferrari.
Despite finishing behind Leclerc, Max Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive world title on Saturday, fending off an impressive challenge from Lando Norris with McLaren.
Given Red Bull’s lack of pace at the end of the season, Ferrari will feel they have every chance to challenge for the title next season, especially with two very competent drivers in the cockpits.