Leclerc Dismisses Verstappen’s Claim He Could Win with Ferrari

Verstappen champion with Ferrari too Leclerc laughs

Charles Leclerc mocked Max Verstappen’s claim that he could have won with Ferrari, saying the Dutchman doesn’t know what the car is like.

Charles Leclerc mocked Max Verstappen’s comments that he could have won the 2024 F1 World Championship with Ferrari or McLaren.

Red Bull driver Verstappen secured his fourth title in Las Vegas, but after winning seven of the first ten races, he claimed just one victory in the last 12.

Verstappen suggested he could have won the title with McLaren “even earlier,” and with Ferrari, “probably the same,” while dismissing Mercedes as too big a leap.

When asked about Verstappen’s comments today in Qatar, Ferrari driver Leclerc considered them an exaggeration of the reality.

“Max is a very special driver, and what makes him so special is his confidence. But I think it’s very difficult to say something like that without really knowing what the car is like.”

“He’s an incredible driver, no doubt, but I don’t know if he would have managed it. I don’t know what the Red Bull or the McLaren is like, and he doesn’t know what the Ferrari is like, so maybe it’s a bit exaggerated to say something like that.”

Leclerc also addressed his issues with Carlos Sainz ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, following frustration with his teammate and the team after last Sunday’s race in Las Vegas.

“I don’t want to go back to what happened in Las Vegas. We’re focusing on the last two races of the season, and we absolutely need to do everything we can to secure the Constructors’ Championship. That’s all that matters, and whatever happened in Vegas, we’ve discussed it.”

“I have a very good relationship with Carlos, and we’ve had races where things didn’t go exactly as we wanted, but the most important thing is that we talk about it and move forward.”

“It’s very clear to both of us that we just want to win the Constructors’ Championship, and working as a team is how we’ll achieve that. I’m sure there won’t be any problems with that.”

When asked if the situation had been clarified, Leclerc confirmed: “Exactly.”