Charles Leclerc examines his changed relationship with Max Verstappen. Ahead of the Belgian GP, the Monegasque looks back on his karting days, in which he regularly competed against the now four-time world champion. At that time, he viewed Verstappen very differently than he does now, he admits: ‘I used to be absolutely convinced that he was a bad person’.
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Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen have been encountering each other on the circuit for a long time. Even before either of them reached Formula 1, they were already racing against each other in karting. The two young drivers even often clashed, which also produced the now iconic moment when a young Leclerc labeled his duel with Verstappen on the track as an ‘inchident’.
Nowadays, the drivers get along much better. Ahead of the Belgian GP, Leclerc even told Sky Sport Italia that he would love to race against the Dutch world champion at Spa-Francorchamps. “I would love to fight Verstappen in the very last corner,” said the Ferrari driver. “Neither of us gives an inch. Our relationship has really matured over the years. I used to be absolutely convinced that he was a bad person, and he thought exactly the same about me. But now that understanding has completely changed.”
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Verstappen as a teammate?
The Monegasque even sees it as a possibility to have Verstappen as a teammate someday, he continues. “He is an exceptional driver who now has four world titles to his name,” Leclerc continues. “Fortunately, I have already had the chance to race against great teammates: Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Carlos Sainz. So I would absolutely not be afraid if it ever happens. It would even be a wonderful story, because we started together in 2010 and went through all the karting classes together. Would I like to see him at Ferrari? Let’s first enjoy Lewis.”
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