The points that the Monegasque driver has to improve to be able to pass the driver who is currently in first position
Piero Ferrari, vice president of Ferrari, believes that charles leclerc He has the speed to match Max Verstappen, but he needs more experience in Formula 1 to be considered a true rival of the reigning world champion. As Verstappen charged to victory from ninth on the grid to extend his championship lead at the final race in Miami, Leclerc came under considerable criticism for crashing at the same corner on back-to-back days.
However, the dynamic approach of the Monegasque pilot had paid off the only pole position of Red Bull in 2023 just a week earlier in Azerbaijan. Ferrari insist that driver Leclerc, a two-time Pole Position winner, has similar underlying speed to Verstappen, putting victory very close.
The need for experience according to Ferrari
However, the son of the founder of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, claims that Leclerc must be given the opportunity to accumulate a similar level of starts in F1 to become a more complete driver. Although Leclerc is only two weeks younger than the two-time title winner, Verstappen started his F1 career three years before the Ferrari ace and has racked up more than 50 Grands Prix at the top level.
“Charles has the speed to match Verstappen“Ferrari told Autosprint. “But he has less experience, in terms of the number of Grands Prix. Leclerc can still grow, he will grow ”. Also after spending two years struggling in the midfield, the restart of technical regulations last year propelled Ferrari into the fight for the lead.
Verstappen and his record in Formula 1
Verstappen became the youngest F1 driver in history in 2015 before becoming the youngest ever race winner in his first start for the Red Bull team a little over a year later. Following several seasons in which Red Bull failed to challenge Mercedes, a slight tweak to the regulations for 2021 opened the door for the Austrian team to topple their German counterpart, with Verstappen defeating Lewis Hamilton during the final lap of a thrilling battle. for the title.
“It’s unbelievably fast,” he said. Ferrari about Verstappen, who he has already won three of the first five races in 2023 to open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table. “He was driving in F1 when he didn’t even have a driving license in his possession. “I was there when he got his first win in Barcelona. He made his mistakes after that, his accidents. “Now he is young and already has a lot of experience. He is a great driver who is now at the top of his career.