“Carlos and Pierre Would Be a Mess”: Charles Leclerc on Getting Stuck With Sainz and Gasly in a Lift

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In his recent appearance on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast, Charles Leclerc gave a lot of insight into his life and Ferrari. However, toward the end, Tom Clarkson asked some informal questions including ‘Who would he rather be stuck in a lift with?’ Besides answering that, Leclerc also revealed the names of two drivers he wouldn’t want to be stuck with for extended periods.

In the hypothetical situation, Leclerc preferred to be stuck in an elevator with Kimi Raikkonen for five days. However, he could not imagine being stuck with Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly for more than a day.

He said, “If I want to speak a bit more and have fun would be Carlos or Pierre. But Carlos and Pierre would be a mess! Life after a day I would just want to sleep. With them, it would be very difficult because they are messy.” 

When asked to elaborate about the “messy” aspect Leclerc explained that the two are extremely talkative. While Raikkonen would remain quiet for most of the time, Leclerc predicted his friends would talk non-stop if they were ever stuck in a confined space for extended periods.

However, that just gives an insight into the kind of relationship they share, especially the two Ferrari men.

The tumultuous yet respectful relationship Leclerc and Sainz share

In the same conversation with Clarkson, Leclerc was asked about his relationship with his outgoing teammate. They’ve been driving alongside each other for three years now. Leclerc reflected on their relationship which had its challenges. He also revealed what he would miss the most about the Spaniard.

Marca quoted him as saying, “I think just Carlos the person. We always had a really good relationship. Yes, there have been many moments where, inside the helmet, I hated him. And he hated me. Because we didn’t view the situation in the same way. Then, everything is fixed by talking to each other.”

The on-track friction between the two in the past two seasons has been intense. However, both have been extremely mature about it and never let it carry forward to the next race weekend.