Leclerc questions Verstappen’s Ferrari championship declare

Charles Leclerc says Max Verstappen’s declare he would have received the 2024 Components 1 world championship “even earlier” had he been racing a McLaren or Ferrari is “a stretch”.

The Purple Bull driver made the comment within the hours after he secured this yr’s title in Las Vegas final weekend, within the context of Purple Bull’s struggles with its RB20 automobile after its dominant begin.

McLaren has supplied probably the most constant opposition to Purple Bull because it massively upgraded its MCL38 automobile again in Might for the Miami race and has dominated a number of occasions an identical method to how Purple Bull opened the yr.

When requested if he additionally would have received his fourth straight title in 2024 had he been racing for McLaren, Verstappen replied: “Sure, even earlier, so [I would have been] additional forward. [With the Ferrari], just about the identical I believe. The Mercedes, no. I believe that might have been trickier.”

Verstappen’s feedback had been put to Leclerc when he confronted the media within the pre-event press convention forward of this weekend’s Qatar GP – F1 having decamped from Vegas and travelled the world over for the ultimate two races of the 2024 season within the Center East.

Leclerc is presently 21 factors adrift of Lando Norris within the drivers’ standings behind Verstappen, however each their groups presently lead Purple Bull within the constructors’ championship, with Ferrari 24 factors again from McLaren with two full GPs left and the Qatar dash.

Leclerc stated that Verstappen “is a really particular driver” and “I believe what makes him particular can be the arrogance that he has”, concerning his post-title-clinching feedback.

“Nonetheless, I believe it’s very tough to say one thing like that not understanding truly what the automobile is like,” he added.

“He’s an unimaginable driver, little doubt. Whether or not he would have made it or not [in the 2024 Ferrari], I don’t know the way the Purple Bull is, how the McLaren is, and he doesn’t know the way the Ferrari is.

“So, it’s possibly a little bit of a stretch to say one thing like that.”