Carlos Sainz has waded into the Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drama following their heated opening lap incident at Monza last weekend. The Williams driver knows exactly what it's like to be in the thick of things with Leclerc, having been his Ferrari teammate for four years before Hamilton replaced him for 2025. Speaking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, Sainz offered some perspective on what went down between his old and new Ferrari teammates.

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Hamilton had criticized Leclerc's version of events at Turn 1, arguing he was already ahead by Turn 2 and there was no shared responsibility for the clash. Leclerc, meanwhile, felt Hamilton went too far with his aggressive move, which ended up sending the Brit through the gravel and costing him several positions. It's the kind of thing that gets the Ferrari paddock wound up, but Sainz reckons it's all just business as usual when you've got two hungry drivers pushing for wins and podiums in the same team.

Sainz revealed he and Leclerc would have roughly two or three arguments every season during their time together, though they'd always sort things out afterward by having a chat and moving on. He stressed that these kinds of flashpoints are simply inevitable when you've got competitive teammates fighting for strategy calls, track position, and race results. The Spaniard explained that tensions would rise and fall throughout the year, with one driver feeling hard done by on one occasion only to feel favored the next, which is just how things work at a top team.

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There's an interesting extra layer to it all at Monza though. Sainz mentioned feeling additional responsibility as a Ferrari driver not to make contact with his teammate at the Scuderia's home race, given what's at stake for the team and the passionate Italian fans. He recalled his own intense 2023 Monza battle with Leclerc, where they came agonizingly close to touching while fighting over a podium spot, and how you're constantly aware of that unwritten rule about keeping it clean in the red cars. It's something every Ferrari driver carries into every battle at Monza.

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The bottom line from Sainz is that what's happening now between Hamilton and Leclerc doesn't really faze him. He's been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. These situations happen, drivers work through them, and life goes on. Whether Hamilton and Leclerc sort it out the same way Sainz and Leclerc did remains to be seen, but according to the Williams driver, it's all part of the territory when you're pushing hard for results in a competitive Ferrari team.

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