Charles Leclerc has said that Max Verstappen’s claim he would’ve won the 2024 Formula 1 title even sooner had he been racing a Ferrari or McLaren car is “a stretch”.
Verstappen clinched his fourth successive Drivers’ Championship last weekend in Las Vegas with two races remaining despite the troubles Red Bull has encountered.
The Dutchman dominated the opening stages until Red Bull’s worsening problems resulted in a downturn in competitiveness which saw him on a 10-race winless run.
Red Bull’s regression allowed McLaren to assume the lead in the Constructors’ Championship, with Ferrari’s resurgence also dropping the reigning champions to third.
The change in fortunes among the leading trio prompted Verstappen to express that he would have claimed the title earlier with the Ferrari or McLaren at his disposal.
Asked whether he would have retained his crown in the McLaren, Verstappen replied: “Yes, even earlier, so [I would have been] further ahead.
“[With the Ferrari], pretty much the same I think. The Mercedes, no. I think that would have been trickier.”
Leclerc quashes Verstappen’s claim
Leclerc – who lies third in the Drivers’ Championship, 21 points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris – was asked about Verstappen’s comments before the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Monegasque admitted Verstappen is a “special driver” and acknowledged that one factor that makes him such a good competitor is “the confidence that he has”.
But despite his praise towards Verstappen, Leclerc has stated the diverse characteristics between the cars mean the Red Bull racer’s assertion is hard to substantiate.
“However, I think it’s very difficult to say something like that not knowing actually what the car is like,” he added.
“He’s an incredible driver, no doubt.
“Whether he would have made it [the title] or not [in the 2024 Ferrari], I don’t know how the Red Bull is, how the McLaren is, and he doesn’t know how the Ferrari is.
“So, it’s maybe a bit of a stretch to say something like that.”
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