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Charles Leclerc is at odds with Lewis Hamilton over the latter claiming that he could tell exactly where Max Verstappen's Red Bull was better this season.
After the race in Mexico, where Lewis finished behind race-winner Max and ahead of Leclerc, the Brit claimed that he could tell exactly where the Dutchman's RB19 was better, and spent a lot of time studying the pattern.
While speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Leclerc said that he talked to the seven-time World Champion after Mexico about the aforementioned claim. The Ferrari driver felt that something like this could only be picked up by looking at on-board cameras and not just by looking at the cars as Hamilton claimed.
The Monegasque said (h/t RacingNews365):
“I spoke to Lewis after Mexico, where he told me that he can see exactly where Max's car is better. Maybe that's true for him, but I have to tell you that I can't possibly recognise the details. We're talking about differences of millimetres in ground clearance or suspension travel."
He added:
"You can of course see whether a car has softer or harder suspension and at which points it gains time on you. I prefer to look at the footage from the on-board cameras. You can see from the driver's helmet what the car does and doesn't do on the track.”
Hamilton finished third in the Drivers' World Championship this season with 234 points — 28 ahead of Leclerc and 341 behind P1 Verstappen.
Max Verstappen put in the work to dominate: Charles Leclerc
When suggested that life was much easier for Max Verstappen now that his Red Bull is quite dominant, Charles Leclerc claimed that it would be unfair to say something like that.
Max, according to the 26-year-old Ferrari driver, had worked hard to put himself in this situation and deserved to be in the position. He said:
“That would be very unfair. Of course he's in a comfortable position today, but he had to put in a lot of work to get there. And they've simply done a good job to get to where they are now. I respect that. Now we have to do an equally good job to catch up with them.”
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc had a brief title battle in 2022 before Red Bull pulled away from the Modena-based team, winning the Constructors' Championship by 205 points. If the Italian outfit does close the gap to the front, it will be an interesting dynamic between the two next season.
