Charles Leclerc makes Max Verstappen ‘fight’ admission in wheel-to-wheel combat

Charles Leclerc explained that he does not approach fighting Max Verstappen – a driver “I know most on the grid” – differently to other rivals, but ultimately it is permutations that dictate how such battles go.

Leclerc and Verstappen are no strangers to going to battle on the track, a rivalry which stretches back far beyond their respective Formula 1 careers, Verstappen known for his fierce nature in on-track combat at times.

Charles Leclerc consistent versus Max Verstappen and all others

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper

However, Leclerc explained he does not have a different approach to racing Verstappen compared to other drivers. Instead, what dictates the strength of the battle is what is at stake for who comes out on top.

Asked by media including PlanetF1.com whether he races Verstappen a bit differently to other drivers, Leclerc replied: “No. You get to know the drivers more and more and obviously with Max, I think he’s probably the driver that I know most on the grid as we have drove against each other since a very long time, since back in 2010 I think.

“I think you know more or less how each driver is going to react or fight or defend or attack you. However, I don’t fight them in different ways, any of them.

“I always try to fight in the same way, then it mostly depends on the situation you are in and of course if you are fighting for P6 in the championship and Max is 100 points ahead, you might not fight him as hard.

“But when a win is on the table, I will always go flat out with whoever it is I’m fighting with.”

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Verstappen’s approach to on-track combat was a major topic of debate after his collision with Lando Norris in Austria as the pair battled for the lead, the stewards deeming Verstappen at fault and issuing a 10-second time penalty.

Leclerc did not want to comment on the verdict reached by the stewards, but felt it was an incident that was “avoidable from both sides”.

“Looking at the images, I think we had a similar situation back in ’22, where I was squeezing Max a bit on the outside and he had to go on the kerb,” said Leclerc.

“So I think it was avoidable from both sides, but apart from that, not much more [to say].”

Verstappen leads the F1 2024 Drivers’ Championship with a buffer of 84 points over Norris.

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