'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Max Verstappen felt very early in his racing days that if he made it to F1, Charles Leclerc would do so as well.
The two drivers have battled it out in the last few seasons. In Las Vegas qualifying, Ferrari's Leclerc got the better of Max Verstappen, but on Sunday, the two drivers will start on the front row.
Verstappen opened up on his journey with Leclerc as the two have raced together since childhood. They were fierce rivals as kids with videos surfacing of how they clashed during karting before rekindling their rivalry with Red Bull and Ferrari respectively.
Max Verstappen said that he was always sure that if he made it to F1, Leclerc would as well:
"I always thought that, if I would make it to F1, Charles will also make it. You can see already from, I think, a young age, the really strong drivers, what they were back then, they are also in F1 now."
He added:
"So, it’s never been a surprise to me that Charles is sitting here and, of course, then after that you need a little bit of luck to be in the right team here and there to get on the front row, but it’s not a surprise that we are sitting here together, I think."
It was good times: Charles Leclerc on Max Verstappen rivalry
Looking back at the rivalry with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc said that there were some good times and some bad ones between the two as both were quite fierce rivals.
He said:
"Obviously when you are young, and you are in karting, Formula 1 feels so far away that, for me it was obviously not a given that I will finish in Formula 1 one day.
"I think we knew that we were very fast because we were already competitive in karting and whenever we change categories, we will always be competitive – but it’s still such a long way off Formula 1 that you don’t really imagine yourself in Formula 1 yet."
He added:
"But it’s amazing. I mean I have really, really good memories. Other memories that are less good but became really good with time! You get older and you look back on moments that maybe you didn’t enjoy at the time that are very funny. So yeah, it was good times."
The two drivers will start on the front row. It's not entirely clear if Ferrari will have enough pace to hold off Verstappen, but it makes for an interesting prospect at the start of the race.
