Former Formula One driver Jolyon Palmer believes Carlos Sainz will be subjected to Ferrari team orders in order to boost Charles Leclerc’s title fight.
Last season, Sainz outperformed Leclerc in his first season with the squad, but things have been different this season as the Spaniard lags behind his teammate.
In the first five races of the year, Leclerc has won two races and two second-place finishes, while Sainz has finished behind his teammate on each occasion not forgetting his retirement from the Australian and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix.
Palmer was asked if Ferrari team-orders are awaiting Sainz ahead of his home race this weekend, and the former Renault driver told F1 Nation it is a guarantee but not at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“I can pretty much guarantee it won’t be this weekend if it does come for Carlos,” Palmer said. “Can you imagine telling him that he has got to get out of the way?”
“He has never won a race so it is the trickiest one for Carlos. He beat Charles in the points last year as well so I don’t think the point comes just yet.”
“We can all see the direction it is going but you never say never and it just takes a couple of bad races and it can swing back around at this point.”
Palmer explained that Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez were more victims of their teammates’ outstanding form than their own low performances.
“It is just the relentless performance of those two sort of looks ominous for their team-mates and at some point they will have to use team orders but there is no way it is coming at the Spanish Grand Prix,” he said.
“It would be so irksome for Sainz to get out of the way for his team-mate a this stage in the championship and he will still think that he can be champion. He can cling onto the glimmer of hope.”
Palmer Suggested that Sainz and Perez would benefit from a similar scenario as the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix which saw drama on the opening lap when Mercedes team-mates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided at turn four, leaving the door open for Max Verstappen to clinch his maiden win in F1.
“All it needs is a Barcelona 2016, the two championship rivals take each other out, someone else comes through to win and they are all back in the fight.”
“So it can change and I think it is too early for team orders.”
“I hate team orders but it is probably inevitable. It is going to come probably halfway through the season, let’s say.”
