The battle between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen was value watching firstly of the 2022 Formula 1 season, after Ferrari was in a position to struggle for the highest locations once more due to the brand new aerodynamic guidelines and battle with the Red Bull crew. .
But because the season progressed, the Scuderia confirmed nerves as, other than reliability points, strategic cash was made in essential conditions, whereby Leclerc made no errors and turned first in a struggle with Sergio Perez at Imola and on the French Grand Prix. His Ferrari took the lead in putting in the wall.
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Leclerc feels extra strain than Verstappen, so he sees the two-time world champion in “superb psychological situation”, which is not going to solely assist in 2022, however enhance Red Bull’s possibilities of successful the title. 2023.
Montoya: Leclerc is nonetheless missing
“He is aware of he can beat anyone,” Montoya mentioned of Verstappen. “When you are ready like that and you’ve got the gear you want, it is good and it will get the job achieved. I’d say. [seine WM-Chancen für 2023] considerably greater. I believe Max is in an excellent psychological state proper now.”
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“Last yr, he had to enhance his recreation. If you have a look at Checo, he took an enormous step firstly of the yr. And Max actually needed to play his finest recreation. When he did, it was nice to see him.”
At the identical time, the Colombian believes that Leclerc nonetheless lacks one thing to compete with Verstappen within the World Championship: “I am unable to say that he is on the identical stage, as a result of I believe Charles is superb, however there is extra to Max. I believe the extra expertise you might have, the extra wins and extra championships, the extra strain you’re taking.”
Montoya: It is dependent upon the automobile
“That’s why it is a lot simpler for Max to win the championship than Charles. Because it might be the primary championship for Charles. To be sincere, if Carlos is snug within the automobile, I believe he can do very well.”
“If you have a look at the outdated vehicles on the finish of the yr, not final yr, however the yr earlier than that, Carlos was beating Charles each week. So it comes right down to driver consolation within the automobile.”
Montoya will drive parallel to Red Bull firstly of the 2022 season, with Sergio Perez surprisingly near team-mate Verstappen, however the RB18 has misplaced extra floor because the season has progressed.
“If you look firstly of the yr when Max wasn’t snug and Checo might drive, Checo was quicker than him,” he says. “Is Checo a better driver than Max? Honestly, he is not. He’s a extremely good driver, however I do not suppose he is on Max’s stage,” Montoya mentioned.
“But he was in a position to drive and Max could not. That’s the place the crew works very well. They perceive what he wants and so they do it better. I believe it is going to be actually cool.”
Montoya: Ferrari has disadvantages in additional growth
Because in accordance with Montoya, the event race shall be essential for the world title in 2023, as he recognized final yr at Ferrari a few of the weaknesses that the crew wants to beat with the intention to be aggressive in the direction of the tip of the season.
“What Red Bull has all the time achieved nicely is what they’ve achieved with the automobile. They can actually develop the automobile. It’s the identical with Mercedes. The tempo of growth of the vehicles is in a special league in comparison with others,” he mentioned. emphasizes.
“At the start of the yr, you could possibly say one of the best automobile was Ferrari. The quickest automobile was Ferrari, arms down. But they have three-tenths of the efficiency and Red Bull and Mercedes a second. Because in case you have a look at Mercedes. At the tip of the yr they have Ferrari Max and He was in a position to get nearer to Ferrari than Red Bull.”
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