Max Verstappen is known to “play with the rules” in Formula 1 and Charles Leclerc believes he can showcase his aggressive side when he needs to.
The Dutchman soared towards another World Championship in 2024, defending a mid-season charge from Lando Norris to win a fourth title in a row.
Norris and Verstappen clashed many times last season, with Verstappen receiving 20 seconds worth of time penalties in Mexico after separate incidents on the same lap.
Whilst many argued he went over the top at times, his aggressive nature gave him the edge over Norris in the other battles of the season.
Leclerc took the fight to the Red Bull driver in 2022 but ultimately his title aspirations fell apart; the pair also famously collided at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix with Verstappen coming out on top.
However, the Moneqasque driver believes he can channel his inner Verstappen when needed.
“You’ve got to pick your battles, and I feel like Max knows how to adapt to different situations, and we’ve seen it [in 2024],” Leclerc told RacingNews365.
“There were moments where he was not aggressive, but when the end of the season arrived, and Lando was coming back there, you could see him play with the rules a lot more, and I feel like I’ve got that in me.
“I know that whenever big things will be at stake, when it will be the moment to take those risks with the right people, I’ll go for it.
“But that’s also why I’ve always enjoyed racing with Max, the mentality of the driver is a big part.”
Leclerc: Verstappen ‘reliable, consistent and extremely fast’
The 27-year-old took three victories this season in Monaco, Italy and the United States – the win in Monte Carlo surely the best pick of the bunch ahead of another fine display in front of the Tifosi.
Leclerc hunted Norris for second in the standings late on, but a slow start to the season eventually cost himself that position and Ferrari a chance at the Constructors’ Championship.
Reflecting on the season, Leclerc rued Ferrari’s late start to the season that also cost him the chance to have a real fight against Verstappen.
“We’ve known each other for a long time, and so it is always more exciting when we’re fighting together,” he added.
“Unfortunately [not in 2024], because at the beginning of the season, he had quite a dominant car and we were not in the fight with him.
“He had no reason to be aggressive with us in some kinds of ways, and then we were playing catch-up.
“By the time we were competitive, there was Lando in-between, so he never really saw us as a direct competitor, so [in 2024], there weren’t these fights.”
Coming through the ranks together as Karting rivals, Leclerc knows Verstappen’s abilities as a driver well and was not surprised by his success this year.
“It doesn’t come as a surprise, I think obviously knowing him since we were young, I’ve always seen how talented he was since the very first day with Max,” he said.
“I’ve seen [Max] when he was very young like me and the way we grew up together.
“He’s just extremely solid, and keeps his biggest strength which is his talent.
“He is reliable, consistent and extremely fast.
“He is an incredible driver and deserves all the success he’s had.”
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