There are no more surprises left for the Formula 1 fans as the business for the 2024 season has been settled. Red Bull star Max Verstappen continued his dominant run and clinched his fourth straight drivers championship. While the constructor’s championship is something that teams like McLaren and Ferrari are still fighting for.
2008 was the year when Ferrari last won the constructor’s championship. So, they will be going all out in the remaining two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Now there are a few things Ferrari needs to get in order to claim this title. The rift between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz has been evident throughout the season; Las Vegas was something sort of similar.
Apart from team chemistry, the pit crew certainly needs to bring their A-game for the two remaining grand prix. And it looks like the team has hired a specialist to keep the team members on their toes for the Qatar Grand Prix. Who would’ve thought tennis legend Novak Djokovic would be Scuderia’s newest recruit?
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The Serbian maestro was seen warming up with the pit crew just ahead of the practice sessions. Ferrari shared the video of the same via their Instagram account with a caption, “Just training our newest pit crew member 👊 @djokernole #QatarGP 🇶🇦 #F1.” Well, all of us knew that Lewis Hamilton was going to be a big deal for the 2025 season, but no one expected Djokovic to claim his spot in the Ferrari team before the 7-time champ.
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Fans were thrilled to see Novak Djokovic in Scuderia colors in Qatar
While this might be Djokovic’s first formal appearance with Ferrari, he is already linked with the team as an ambassador. He did catch up with Carlos Sainz during the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters. The two seemed to enjoy each other’s company and had a friendly chat. But, of course, seeing the tennis star actively participating with Ferrari got the fans excited. “Of course novak is a ferrari fan 😁”
Carlos Sainz is taking the exit door while Lewis Hamilton is coming in for the 2025 season. However, given the opportunity, the fans would like to see Djokovic in a Ferrari race car. Not sure if the Serbian maestro will be able to repeat his court magic on the racetrack. “New member of the team, @djokernole 💪🏻”
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Well, there’s no doubting the athleticism of the 24-time grand slam winner. He certainly could add value to somewhat sluggish pit crew teams at Ferrari. This was evident from the video itself; while the crew half-heartedly did their stretches, Djokovic had the perfect form and technique. Adding to this banter, another fan added, “I think he might just have what it takes 🤭”
Leclerc wasn’t able to grab the podium finish in Las Vegas, where his teammate Carlos Sainz got the better of him ignoring a team command in a switch-up when he exited the pits. This sequence left Leclerc fuming as he dished out a rant during the cool-down lap. “Yeah, I did my job. But being nice f**ks me all the f**king time. All the f**king time.” Well, this incident has got the fans convinced that their chances for a constructors championship are better with Sainz than Leclerc. And this sentiment was clear from this fan’s reaction to Djokovic’s arrival. “Only if you help Carlos will Ferrari take the constructors’ title!! favoring Leclerc, we will lose the title!”
There was real confusion regarding the pit calls during the Vegas race. “Box Carlos, Box” was the command Sainz received while nearing the pit lane. But at the very last moment, his radio buzzed again, “Stay out, stay out, stay out,” and he did follow his team’s command. Well, they wouldn’t want to repeat this chaotic moment again, but this fan just couldn’t let it go and used it as a bantering material. “So this is what they were doing when carlos went in for his pitstop.”
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On a serious note, both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc will have to work in tandem to get the better of McLaren in the constructors championship.