“It’s consistently the same” - Carlos Sainz weighs in on the incident between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Monza.

Carlos Sainz has drawn from his own time at Ferrari to downplay any possible conflict between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc following the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.

Sainz and Leclerc were teammates at Scuderia from 2021 to 2024 before the Spaniard transitioned to Williams in 2025 after being succeeded by seven-time world champion Hamilton.

Throughout those four years, the duo often found themselves neck and neck - Sainz accumulated 900.5 points while Leclerc secured 1,029 - which occasionally resulted in tense moments during races.

For instance, during the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, Sainz accused the Monegasque of ‘overreacting’ after making contact with his teammate while overtaking in Barcelona.

However, as has been their way, they eventually settled their differences internally, and he believes this is the path Leclerc must take with Hamilton after their incident at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Sainz remarked in Madrid on Thursday: “It's not my concern, but I can tell you that when two competitive teammates are involved, these kinds of situations are bound to occur.

“With Charles, it happened two or three times a year, we always had some discussions or disagreements, but after the race or the next morning, we would reach out to each other and resolve it.

“So yes, I think it’s typical when you’re vying for podiums or victories within a competitive team, and there are instances in turn one or during the race or with strategy, you inevitably end up feeling dissatisfied with how things were handled one day and perhaps favored the next.

“It’s always the same scenario, and I’m not aware of how it’s being handled now, but during my time at Ferrari with Charles, we would always work things out between ourselves and move forward, and we had a great time.”

At Monza, Leclerc pushed Hamilton into the gravel at the race's start, causing the 28-year-old to crash into the Parabolica on lap two, leaving him in third while the Briton fell to tenth.

After the race, Leclerc stated that both parties were at fault, asserting “we went too far,” while Hamilton firmly disagreed, claiming “I was ahead in Turn 2, by the apex I was ahead, there was no ‘we’ in it.”

"Listen, I don't race unfairly,” he added at Monza. “I’ve always raced cleanly and fairly and consistently left space.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

"I've joined the team and made an effort to respect space and certainly not compromise the team’s integrity. I stand by that, and all I can address is my perspective. You may want to discuss the other side with Fred [Vasseur, team principal] regarding the decisions made there.

"Ultimately, it originates from the top. Decisions trickle down. It begins with Fred. There’s only so much you can express, so much you can shout from the rooftops.

"Yesterday, I mentioned that we need to examine our communication. If we continue on this same trajectory, we’ll achieve the same outcome. We keep experiencing the same results."

This incident is just one of several occasions where Hamilton has criticized Ferrari’s performance this season, as evidenced by the previous race at Zandvoort, where he expressed frustration over a lack of team orders while trailing Leclerc.

Hamilton felt this ultimately hindered his chances for a podium finish, as he crossed the line in fourth, all of which has left Ferrari trailing by 122 points behind his former team Mercedes in the championship standings.

"I think it boils down to rules of engagement," Hamilton stated in Italy. "When I was at Mercedes, we had a written set of engagement rules.

“We rarely faced significant issues. Perhaps some moments with me and Nico [Rosberg], but more often than not, it was smooth. Here, there seem to be no rules.”