Opinion: Will Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc be the Next Big Rivalry?

Formula 1 history has been defined by the big block-buster rivalries of the ages: Fangio v Moss, Clark v Hill, Senna v Prost and Schumacher v Hakkinen to name a few. But after the rivalry between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton between 2014-16 at Mercedes, the pinnacle of motorsport has failed to have one that the fans can enjoy, until now… 

Sebastian Vettel’s recent F1 slump has been well-documented and he has been unable to consistently challenge Lewis Hamilton since his fellow German left the sport at the end of 2016. But 2019 has marked the start of the clash between the younger generation as the fight between Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc in the past two Grand Prix has been truly wonderful for our sport as possibly a sign of things to come. 

Verstappen’s immense charge through the field at Austria saw him battle Leclerc in the closing laps of the race, ultimately battling his way past the Monegasque racer. Then at Silverstone, Leclerc managed to keep Verstappen at bay lap after lap and after feeling like he was mugged off in the closing laps of the Grand Prix at Spielberg, where he has put a true mark in the sand and reminding Max and the world of his racing skills.  

This rivalry between Verstappen and Leclerc is not one that has its origins in the 2019 F1season. But the pair first met on the racetrack back in karting at a 2012 WSK Euro Series with the pair first clashing while racing at the Sarno circuit in Italy, where it was Leclerc who pushed Max off the road while battling for the win that day in contrast to their exchange at the Austrian GP. 

When questioned after the race by a reporter in parc ferme at the time, the pair took completely opposite perspectives to that seen in Austria. Verstappen told the reporter:

“No, he’s just unfair. I’m leading, he wants to pass, so he push me, I push him back and he finally push me off the track.”

Whereas Leclerc said rather leisurely when questioned by the reporter his thoughts on what happened with Max:

“Nothing, just an incident on the race.”

Since then, Verstappen was picked up by the Red Bull drivers’ academy after a phenomenal debut season racing cars in the 2014 European F3 Championship which saw the Dutchman streamlined to Formula 1 the year after. He was promoted to Red Bull Racing in May 2016 and since has won six Grand Prix’s and accumulated 25 podiums.  

Leclerc’s journey to Formula 1 by contrast, has been a difficult one for the young Monegasque racer. After a fine season in the European F3 Championship a year after Verstappen, he won the GP3 series with ART Grand Prix, which he dedicated to his late godbrother Jules Bianchi who tragically died as a consequence of his injuries following the 2014 Japanese GP.

A year later, he won the FIA Formula 2 Championship, but that year was also plagued with tragedy for him as he lost his father days before the second round at the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, where he took pole position by 0.5 s and won both races on the road. That success meant Leclerc was rewarded with a Sauber Formula 1 drive, and after impressing alongside Marcus Ericsson, he was promoted to Scuderia Ferrari for 2019. 

While their paths to F1 have been rather different, now they have made the top echelons of motorsport, the stick that they had between each other in karting will be crucial as they continue to fight for wins and F1 titles in the future. It is a similar dynamic between Hamilton and Rosberg as the rivalry between the team-mates while at Mercedes was personal. The German truly believed that he had to beat Lewis in a one-on-one fight for the F1 World Championship in 2016 to put to bed not only the edge Lewis had over him in his F1 up until that point, but the way the Briton beat him in karting. 

The situation is different between this pair as while Leclerc had the edge in karting, Verstappen’s extra three years of experience in F1 means that it is the Dutchman who is the more successful driver to this point in Formula 1. 

But as Hamilton and Vettel’s careers reach a climax, the new generation is here and is already stealing the show after two tremendous battles at Austria and Silverstone. While Leclerc and Verstappen may have their differences, they both have common respect for one another which will be key to the longevity of their rivalry. The Monegasque is enjoying his battles with Verstappen and hopes it will blossom into one of the battles of the ages, and told GP Fans that he wanted it to blossom into one of the battles of the ages, adding: 

“We had some very good fights in karting that didn’t always end in a good manner, but it was fun, good times.

“And I can’t wait to have more with him. In the end, we have done most of our career together, so it is fun to find ourselves again here in Formula 1.” – Charles Leclerc

Now in 2019, with Hamilton looking to wrap up a sixth World Championship, all eyes are on the next generation and should Ferrari and Red Bull deliver for their two drivers, they have proven already that they are ready to fight at the top echelons of Formula 1.