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Along with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc is widely regarded as the future of Formula 1. This makes his take on the battle for the 2021 World Drivers Championship significant.
Attending the drivers' press conference with fellow driver Pierre Gasly, Leclerc was questioned on his views about this season's championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Leclerc was quite frank in his view of how the season had been. Speaking about it, he admitted that it might be harder for him to make a judgment on how the two drivers have fared. He reasoned that more often than not, he has been competing against other drivers for a different piece of the tarmac during the races.
Replying to a question on who he feels holds the edge in the championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, Leclerc tried not to commit to an answer, saying, "I keep changing my mind".
Upon being further pressed on picking either Hamilton or Verstappen for the title, Leclerc said, "I thought Max Verstappen was going to win until Sau Paulo, but after Sau Paulo, Lewis has been much stronger."
Leclerc was referring to the Brazilian Grand Prix earlier this year, where Hamilton drove a comeback of sorts from being 10th on the grid to go on and win the race.
Taking a pick between the two, Leclerc said, "I think I'll go with Lewis."
Max Verstappen faces an uphill task in the last two races
The final two races of the season pose an uphill task for Max Verstappen. Going into the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen has only an eight-point advantage over his rival Lewis Hamilton. With the next two tracks expected to extensively favor Hamilton's Mercedes, it would be interesting to see how he approaches the remainder of the season.
Only time will tell whether he takes on the final two races the same way he has throughout the season, or if we finally see a few chinks in the armor of the young Red Bull driver.
The challenge in front of Max Verstappen now is to try and win his first F1 title, against the most successful driver in the history of Formula 1.
