[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]  Zach Brown [@the_zb_](/creator/twitter/the_zb_) on x 4616 followers Created: 2025-07-18 17:45:18 UTC This kind of info is going to be overblown, not really any way around that. But I think this actually highlights a fundamental aspect of Ferrari’s struggles in the Leclerc-era, if you will. Ferrari have committed pretty fully to a two driver team setup. You can honestly argue the merits or the downfalls of this. As we’ve seen in the last couple decades, the only time a team has won a WDC with a “two top drivers giving input” approach has been when it created an utterly field-dominant car. The Vettel-RB Lewis-Mercedes Max-RB approach has been the better way to produce WDC trophies. Where I always struggled with Ferrari’s Leclerc/Sainz pairing was the fundamental incompatibility of the base level driving styles and car preferences between Charles and Carlos. Whenever one driver was at peak potential and peak happiness in the car, the other was struggling and frustrated. It was a perpetual cycle. Over the balance of their time together, it became clear that not only was Charles overall quicker, his extreme peaks were also considerably higher. But their insistence on this two driver approach most certainly limited the overall peak potential of BOTH drivers, and I would argue it has limited the peak potential of the team’s competitiveness in that span as well. We can disagree on this, but it always seemed clear that Charles had a higher ceiling and higher general pace even when he wasn’t perfectly comfortable, but especially when he could use his raw ability to accentuate the needs of the GE era of cars to his benefit with good car fit - which means tolerating a more fluid and forward oriented car balance that was useable. A very different balance than the one most needed by Carlos to be at his best. But Ferrari, repeatedly, over many instances just like this steering situation, continued trying to merge their car towards a centrist point where they could magically make them both happy and performing at their top level… but that was an illusion that wasn’t attainable. It’s like they traded off listening to input that was steering in differing directions. Someone was being disadvantaged in every aspect of this “centrist” approach, and it swayed back and forth. Many will cry that some of us Tifosi are simply Leclerc fans rather than team fans for always being vocal about the team needing to support him more with development, but that betrays a lack of awareness as to what transpired over that time period. For me, it’s because I’ve always felt there’s an extremely high peak level in him waiting to be unleashed and better supported with full send commitment. We never got that. We very rarely ever got to witness a functional team, but also only very briefly got to witness a car that was truly tailored to unlocking the peak level of pace that I think exists inside Leclerc. Instead, the constant focus was a “middle ground”, which was often driven by the massive political and PR driven game that is Ferrari, which ironically Leclerc rarely won. We don’t know what the future holds, but there’s at least an understandable reticence in the fandom - Lewis-only fans believe that he hasn’t experienced any decline whatsoever and is the only person capable of giving input to a championship level car… obviously, neither of those are completely true. Leclerc-only fans think that the team needs to build an oversteer monster that nobody else can drive, like Red Bull did for Max, and then he’ll be great. I don’t think that’s true, either. I very unabashedly think they should lean towards the general characteristics of Leclerc’s driving preferences, because at this point I believe his ceiling is higher than Lewis’ current level. But what I think is likely about to happen is a repeat of the previous era, where they try to placate everyone and make fundamental mistakes doing it. Maybe, just maybe, their styles are close enough to help mitigate this risk and they can both be comfortable in the 2026 car, and we can see each at their peak best. XXXXXX engagements  **Related Topics** [carlos sainz](/topic/carlos-sainz) [charles leclerc](/topic/charles-leclerc) [$race](/topic/$race) [stocks consumer cyclical](/topic/stocks-consumer-cyclical) [Post Link](https://x.com/the_zb_/status/1946265034096599432)
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Zach Brown @the_zb_ on x 4616 followers
Created: 2025-07-18 17:45:18 UTC
This kind of info is going to be overblown, not really any way around that. But I think this actually highlights a fundamental aspect of Ferrari’s struggles in the Leclerc-era, if you will.
Ferrari have committed pretty fully to a two driver team setup. You can honestly argue the merits or the downfalls of this. As we’ve seen in the last couple decades, the only time a team has won a WDC with a “two top drivers giving input” approach has been when it created an utterly field-dominant car. The Vettel-RB Lewis-Mercedes Max-RB approach has been the better way to produce WDC trophies.
Where I always struggled with Ferrari’s Leclerc/Sainz pairing was the fundamental incompatibility of the base level driving styles and car preferences between Charles and Carlos. Whenever one driver was at peak potential and peak happiness in the car, the other was struggling and frustrated. It was a perpetual cycle.
Over the balance of their time together, it became clear that not only was Charles overall quicker, his extreme peaks were also considerably higher.
But their insistence on this two driver approach most certainly limited the overall peak potential of BOTH drivers, and I would argue it has limited the peak potential of the team’s competitiveness in that span as well.
We can disagree on this, but it always seemed clear that Charles had a higher ceiling and higher general pace even when he wasn’t perfectly comfortable, but especially when he could use his raw ability to accentuate the needs of the GE era of cars to his benefit with good car fit - which means tolerating a more fluid and forward oriented car balance that was useable. A very different balance than the one most needed by Carlos to be at his best.
But Ferrari, repeatedly, over many instances just like this steering situation, continued trying to merge their car towards a centrist point where they could magically make them both happy and performing at their top level… but that was an illusion that wasn’t attainable. It’s like they traded off listening to input that was steering in differing directions. Someone was being disadvantaged in every aspect of this “centrist” approach, and it swayed back and forth.
Many will cry that some of us Tifosi are simply Leclerc fans rather than team fans for always being vocal about the team needing to support him more with development, but that betrays a lack of awareness as to what transpired over that time period. For me, it’s because I’ve always felt there’s an extremely high peak level in him waiting to be unleashed and better supported with full send commitment. We never got that.
We very rarely ever got to witness a functional team, but also only very briefly got to witness a car that was truly tailored to unlocking the peak level of pace that I think exists inside Leclerc. Instead, the constant focus was a “middle ground”, which was often driven by the massive political and PR driven game that is Ferrari, which ironically Leclerc rarely won.
We don’t know what the future holds, but there’s at least an understandable reticence in the fandom - Lewis-only fans believe that he hasn’t experienced any decline whatsoever and is the only person capable of giving input to a championship level car… obviously, neither of those are completely true. Leclerc-only fans think that the team needs to build an oversteer monster that nobody else can drive, like Red Bull did for Max, and then he’ll be great. I don’t think that’s true, either.
I very unabashedly think they should lean towards the general characteristics of Leclerc’s driving preferences, because at this point I believe his ceiling is higher than Lewis’ current level. But what I think is likely about to happen is a repeat of the previous era, where they try to placate everyone and make fundamental mistakes doing it.
Maybe, just maybe, their styles are close enough to help mitigate this risk and they can both be comfortable in the 2026 car, and we can see each at their peak best.
XXXXXX engagements
Related Topics carlos sainz charles leclerc $race stocks consumer cyclical