Carlos Sainz reminds Hamilton-Leclerc of 'responsibility' after Ferrari Monza spat

Former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has reminded current Scuderia racers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of the "responsibility" of representing the team at Monza.

 During last week's Italian GP, Hamilton attempted to move up the inside of Leclerc at Turn 1 on the opening lap, but was forced wide and down the order by the Monegasque.

Post-race, Hamilton signalled that the team had no "rules of engagement" whilst indicating that there was no "we" involved, as he felt he was ahead at the Turn 2 apex, whilst Leclerc hit back at the idea of media creating "narratives" around the situation at the team, with Hamilton also indicating that, as the best-placed driver in the championship, he should receive preferential treatment to mount the challenge.

Sainz was Leclerc's team-mate between 2021 and 2024, until he was replaced by Hamilton, with the Spanish driver involved in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Leclerc at the 2023 Italian GP for a podium place - eventually outdueling his team-mate to take third. 

Observing the situation, the four-time race winner felt that at Monza, Ferrari drivers should shoulder greater "responsibility" when battling the sister car.

"Well, I don't think it's like some people say that it's none of my business," Sainz told media, including RacingNews365. 

"But I can tell you that when you have two competitive teammates, these kinds of situations are always going to happen. Charles and I, always twice, two or three times a year, we always had a bit of a discussion or an argument, but after the race or the morning after, we would call each other and sort it out. 

"So, I think it's normal when you're fighting for podiums or wins in a competitive team, and there are situations in Turn 1 or situations in the race or with strategy. You always end up one day not being happy with the way it's being handled, and the next day maybe you've been favoured.

"It's always the same case, and I don't know the way it's being handled right now. But when I was there in Ferrari with Charles, we would always sort it out among ourselves, and we would get on with it. 

"I remember in 2023 being quite an intense battle with Charles [at Monza], I don't think we got to the point where we had any arguments that day. We both felt like we kept it as fair as we could for what was at stake. 

"We had worse ones than that for sure. But at Monza, you feel an extra level of responsibility of making sure you don't touch the other guy in the other red car because it's Monza. 

"I think in general that's the number one rule of motorsport or Formula 1, but maybe Ferrari at Monza means a bit more, and you have that in the back of your head for sure going into every battle."

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Hamilton-Leclerc Ferrari Monza spat

Hamilton, when debriefing media after the sixth-placed finish at Monza, recounted the 'rules of engagement' at Mercedes when Nico Rosberg was his team-mate, and their infamous collisions through 2014-2016.

After Rosberg retired at the end of 2016, he was replaced by Valtteri Bottas, who was asked about those rules of engagement with the Briton. 

"That's confidential, contractual stuff," he began. 

"So, I mean, every team obviously operates differently. You have different rules, but around that time it was very clear that you need to race fair and clean.

"There are certain rules in certain situations, which I don't want to go into detail. You can use your imagination, but it's just how the sport works. 

"And sometimes you get it better. Sometimes you get it worse."