Charles Leclerc wants answers from Formula 1 teammate Carlos Sainz after the latter defied team orders in British Grand Prix Qualifying. As is normal practice between teammates, they alternate who goes out on track first in Qualifying, with it being Leclerc's turn to head out first - but he was behind Sainz in the pit-lane queue. The Spanish driver was told to let Leclerc through - complaining over the radio about losing tyre temperature - and the overtook the Monegasque on track anyway, leaving Leclerc who eventually qualified fourth to Sainz's fifth wanting answers.
Leclerc wants Sainz explanation
"In the pit-lane, it's something that we were expecting as we're always trying to get the cars out at the same time as it is better to manage," Leclerc told media including RacingNews365. "But then on track this is where we had a bit more of a discussion and at the end, we were very tight on timing and it was very difficult for us to know wether we were going to get passed or not before the chequered flag. "Carlos decided to overtake, which is not ideal and we will discuss about it - but it had no influence so it is no big deal. "Obviously with the adrenaline inside the car, you don't know if you're going to make it through, but his radio message was completely pointless."
Sainz 'not upset'
As the cars trickled out of the pit-lane after a Kevin Magnussen-induced red flag, and Sainz was asked to swap positions with Leclerc, he came over the radio to complain that he was more at risk being in fourth as opposed to Leclerc in third, but moved anyway. He denied being "upset" at the request and said at some point he "just had to go." "I'm not upset, it was a high pressure moment in getting out of Q1 because of the chequered flag [coming] and we were waiting in the last corner, and at some point, I had to go to get a lap in, but [Charles] had priority this weekend," he said.
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