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Max Verstappen had an intense battle with Charles Leclerc in the first race of the season in Bahrain. The result, however, was not in favor of the Dutch driver, who had to retire from the race due to a multitude of issues.
In a post-race interview with APNews, Verstappen was very complimentary of the Ferrari driver and even termed him as one of the most talented drivers in F1. Referring to the loss in Bahrain, the reigning world champion said:
“I never speak about these things with other drivers. I mean, it happens. I’ve lost wins, as well, and it’s not the end of the world, you move on. I think Charles is one of the most talented drivers in Formula One and he will win many more races. I think we’re just good competitors and we like racing, I think you saw that when we were battling hard and it was all good.”
The two drivers have been sparring since their karting days and have grown up racing together. Max Verstappen made his debut in F1 in 2015 with Toro Rosso while Leclerc took a different route and dominated the F2 championship in 2017 before making his debut in F1 in 2018 with Sauber.
The two drivers have had a few intense battles in the past as well, for instance, the battle in the Austrian GP in 2019 or the battle in Silverstone that same season.
It was a bit more difficult when we were young: Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen even admitted that the relationship was a bit difficult as they were growing up because they were both young, motivated, and a bit immature at the time.
He said:
“I would say back in the day it was a little bit more difficult, but also [we] were very young and growing up and you are fighting for the same goal, right? Now that you’re in Formula One, I think it is really different. You are representing really big brands. So we get on very well now. We can have a good chat and enjoy our battles, and I think that’s very nice. Knowing each other for such a long time helps. We’ve spent so much time together, in a way.”
The Red Bull and Ferrari drivers might likely be competing against each other this season for the title. Should that be the case, it will be interesting to see how the relationship shapes itself over the season.
