13 Photos Of Formula 1 Racers Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz That Will Drive You Crazy

The Ferrari F-1 drivers are rising stars, thanks to the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive.

21-year-old Charles Leclerc hails from Monaco, and was first introduced to racing when a family friend who worked for Ferrari brought him to the complex when he was 11 or 12.

His teammate, 27-year-old Carlos Sainz, is from Madrid. He drove with a rival team before Ferrari poached him for their team — something he had always wanted.

A recent GQ profile described the duo as opposites: “Leclerc is boyish, an enthusiast. Sainz is more modest and lightly brushed by melancholy.”

Leclerc and Sainz have a playful relationship despite being direct competitors for the number one driving spot on the Ferrari team.

A Ferrari executive describes them as “rivalrous schoolmates” who also have fun together. “They’re close. Chat-chat-chat. They compete over everything: who can get to a toilet door first, everything. Then, chat-chat-chat.”

Technically, Leclerc is understood to be the in the top spot while Sainz “must play sidekick,” though Ferrari says they don’t rank their drivers.

Whenever Sainz gets down about that fact, he repeats an affirmation to himself: “S***. I’m a Ferrari driver. I’m in Maranello. I’m going to drive a simulator today. I’m going to test the car. And soon I’m gonna race.”

Their appearance on the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive To Survive has upped their recognition in everyday life.

“More people recognize you in the street,” Sainz says of their newfound fame, “more sponsors, more events, more pictures. More autographs, more risks of distraction.”

Leclerc and Sainz have also taken their talents off the racetrack — they recently lent their voices to the Disney movie Lightyear.

Despite it being a dangerous sport, their families support their dream. “It’s tough on my mother,” Leclerc says. “But she knows I’m the happiest once I’m in that car.”