Picture this: You work at a van rental company and are in charge of the front desk. You think it’s just another day at the office until suddenly, two Formula 1 drivers walk in. You look around, and it doesn’t look like they’re shooting a Drive To Survive episode or any of that sort—they just want to rent a van.
That’s what happened recently when Williams Racing’s Carlos Sainz Jr. and Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc went to get a rental van in Italy. We ourselves have so many questions. Imagine the initial shock and the confusion that follows suit for the people there.
What are these two doing in the middle of Italy, renting a van, just a day after the Azerbaijan GP? But more important, why a van? Why not get, I don’t know, an SUV? Better yet, couldn’t any of their teams provide them with a more proper and comfortable car to drive all the way to Monaco?
But then again, where’s the fun in that, right?
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Sainz Jr. and Leclerc, as we all know, were former teammates at Ferrari. They’ve since maintained a tight relationship and have remained good friends even after the younger Sainz’ departure. This, however, wasn’t just a road trip for fun—it was partially necessary.
Leclerc recorded a video and posted it on social media. “So after a very difficult weekend in Baku, I thought it couldn’t get any worse, but...” said Leclerc, as he panned the camera to Sainz Jr., who was behind the wheel. The latter then proceeded to explain why they were driving and where they were.
“We’re driving a van, in the middle of Italy,” said the 31-year-old Spanish. “We were diverted by a storm, we couldn’t land in Nice, so we landed in the middle of Italy. We rented a van, and now we are on our way to Monaco.
“Two-hour drive, and we’ll make it in one hour and a half,” Sainz Jr. jokingly said. Or was he joking? In any case, what we can assume is that the drive was one for the books. It’s also a very interesting way to celebrate Sainz Jr.’s first-ever podium finish for Williams—that’s one core memory after another, that’s for sure.
