Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have each won two races at the start of the 2022 season, sharing the four races so far. This sets the tone for a possible championship battle that could drag on throughout the campaign.
The drivers have battled it out on track on a number of occasions so far this year, most notably in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where their wheel-to-wheel clashes were key to settling the battle for victory. In Sakhir they staged the first big duel, while the Jeddah track witnessed a battle to the finish line with the help of the DRS.
At the moment, there have been no incidents between them, nor any moment that has required the intervention of the stewards, which is a change from the controversies in which Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton found themselves involved towards the end of the season. pass.
Christian Horner , boss of Red Bull, avoided getting wet about whether there was more respect in the fight between Leclerc and Verstappen compared to the one the latter lived with Hamilton in 2021, but affirmed that the story that the Dutch driver had lived with the Monegasque throughout throughout his career in the lower categories had generated great mutual respect.
“I think they’ve grown up racing each other in karting and stuff, so they know each other really well,” Horner said. “They come from the same generation, and there is a sincere respect between the two.”
Asked if he expects the battle between Leclerc and Verstappen to swing back and forth throughout the season, Horner said: “Ferrari have a great car, they have great drivers. They’ve been unlucky [at Imola].”
“But for sure they’re going to be super competitive two weeks from now [in Miami]. And I think it’s going to be that way for the whole season.”
Verstappen and Leclerc competed against each other in karting, before Verstappen switched to single-seaters early, making the jump to Formula 3 in 2014, a move that preceded a surprising rise to F1 by just one year. after. Leclerc, for his part, would finally reach F1 in 2018, after winning the GP3 and Formula 2 titles.
Leclerc recalled in Imola that “it was always very tight” between him and Verstappen in the lower categories, referring to the fight for victories, which caused a great rivalry to be born between them.
“In karting I remember it was him or me, and that’s why we hated each other at one point, because very often it didn’t end in the best possible way,” Leclerc said.
“But they were good times. I think we just have two very different driving styles. Sometimes one wins, sometimes the other, but it’s fun. I like it.”
Leclerc felt that both he and Verstappen have “matured a lot” since their karting days, both having achieved their dream of reaching F1.
“At the time, it was just a dream, everything seemed impossible,” Leclerc explained.
“So now it’s great to be fighting in Formula 1. We have a lot of respect for each other. So yeah, a lot has changed.
