Leclerc would like to recapture Ferrari’s glory days this year, but of course he cannot yet get involved in the title fight. This means that the Monegasque can speak freely about the expected duel at the top of the leaderboard.
When asked in an interview with La Stampa who he would put one euro for the world title, the answer was decisive: “Verstappen”.
“Red Bull has gotten stronger this year and even seems to have an advantage over Mercedes. Max is also capable of taking the title for himself, he is a great talent,” Leclerc analyzed.
The Ferrari driver believes that there is a changing of the guard in Formula 1, in which young drivers increasingly take over. Verstappen fits that picture, although he is also visible within Ferrari. For example, the Scuderia has a relatively young alignment with Leclerc and Sainz Jr . “The future is in our hands,” said the winner of two great prizes.
As for Ferrari, the young driver duo is doing well at the moment: “We want to be third among the manufacturers this year with Ferrari. Carlos can help with that, he’s really very fast.”
Leclerc also underlines that the relationship between the two is good, also off the track. “We have the same interests and we can also laugh at the same things. We challenge each other in all kinds of ways. He is better at golf, for example, and we have a similar level at paddle tennis, but I am still better at chess. “laughs Leclerc.
His relationship with Sainz is different from the one he had with Sebastian Vettel, although Leclerc also continues to have a lot of respect for his old Ferrari teammate: “Let’s hope the situation can be reversed soon for him, as he has had a great career” He said.