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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc proved to be a wily competitor for Red Bull's Max Verstappen after the two drivers put on a solid showing during the 2022 F1 Saudi Arabian GP.
Despite having lost out to the Dutchman on the night, Leclerc was positive about the type of racing between the two. The Monegasque driver feels every race should be as close-fought as the one in Jeddah tonight.
During the customary post-race interview in parc fermé, Charles Leclerc shared his thoughts on the race with former F1 driver turned analyst, David Coulthard. He said:
“Oh my God! I really enjoyed that race. Again, it’s hard racing but fair and every race should be like this. It was fun. I am, of course, disappointed. I wanted to win today, we just missed. I mean, we had two very different configurations today with Max [Verstappen] and Checo [Sergio Perez] and both the Ferraris. We were quite quick in the corners but quite slow in the straights because we put more downforce. So, it was extremely difficult for me to cover Max in the straights but it’s like this. He did a great job.”
"It's always been there" - Charles Leclerc on mutual respect between him and Max Verstappen after Saudi Arabian GP
Charles Leclerc cut a sporting figure both at the checkered flag and during his post-race interview with David Coulthard after being pipped to P1 by Max Verstappen in Jeddah.
The Ferrari driver was seen congratulating his Red Bull counterpart during the cool-down lap while also acknowledging the hard battle between the two on the radio.
When asked about the respect between him and Max Verstappen, Leclerc said:
“It’s always been there, especially when you finish a race like this. Honestly, I mean, we are in a street track. We’ve been pushing like I’ve rarely pushed before to the absolute limit and we had to take risks at the end. So, of course, there is respect.”
Leclerc started the race in P2 and picked up 18 points for his second-place finish. For the second race running, the 24-year-old also picked up the extra point for the fastest lap in the race.
