Leclerc admits finishing behind Sainz 'obviously hurt'

Last season was a fine year for Ferrari, but Charles Leclerc was not happy that Carlos Sainz ended up scoring more points than him.

Leclerc started his third season with the team last year, and had a new Spanish teammate alongside him, who joined the team after his career with McLaren. Sainz had a strong debut year at the team, as he scored four podium finishes, while Leclerc only finished in the top three once. The former McLaren driver eventually finished in fifth place and thus two spots above Leclerc.

The former Sauber driver was very satisfied with his season, but this result certainly does not feel good. After all, in 2019 and 2020 he managed to finish above his teammate Sebastian Vettel. "Of course it hurt. You always want to beat your team-mate," he told Motorsportweek.

The Ferrari driver does have an explanation for his teammate's good performance: "I think one of the big strengths of Carlos is being there all the time and in every race he’s always there." In 2022, therefore, he hopes to learn from his teammate and take advantage of every opportunity. The Monegasque is fully focused on the new season and is ready to score a lot of points.