Ferrari\’s Charles Leclerc has found himself in a tough situation over the last week after he failed to finish on top at the Hungarian GP. The Monegasque finished P6 after the Italian outfit faltered with their tyre strategy in Budapest. As a result, Leclerc is now 80 points behind Mac Verstappen in the drivers\’ championship. However, the 24-year-old still fancies his chances of winning the championship despite falling fairly behind the championship leader Max.
Red bull\’s Verstappen is clearly the favorite to win the championship this season. The Dutchman won seven of the last ten races after suffering from two DNFs in the season\’s first three races and has missed the podium just once. Thus, the Red Bull driver finds himself in a much more comfortable position than Charles Leclerc, who would have to rely on the Dutchman\’s mistakes to keep his championship hopes alive.
However, Leclerc recently warned Max that he is ready to get fiesty in the battle like Lewis Hamilton last year. But, Ferrari would require some great skill and at least two DNFs or pointless finishes from Verstappen to stay in the championship battle. Moreover, Mercedes are quickly making their way to the front, as seen in the last three races. Hence, the upcoming battles are expected to be three-way. It could cause more troubles for Ferrari and Leclerc, who are in desperate need of some wins.
Hamilton was involved in the fierce championship battle with Max last year when the two drivers headed to Abu Dhabhi with equal championship points. During the course of the season, the two drivers collided twice in Silverstone and Monza. And because of that, the battle quickly turned quite heated until the end. Eventually, the Dutch managed to get ahead of the Briton in the final lap to secure his maiden championship title. Max told last week that he preferred his rivalry with Leclerc over Hamilton. However, Leclerc is set to pick up some tricks from Hamilton\’s book to make a comeback in the championship.
Charles Leclerc Ready To Fight Fiercely To Keep His Title Hopes Alive
Talking to BBC sports, Leclerc told that his reaction in the rivalry would depend on the situation, the opponent, and how far his rival was willing to go. The Monegasque stated that if either he or Verstappen had a big advantage in the championship, they would not be willing to take risks. However, Leclerc is willing to take the risk as he needs to catch up in the standings. Charles pointed out that the last year\’s rivalry was more prone to such factors. As a result, it went so close until the very end.
Leclerc expects that the championship will turn out like Hamilton vs. Verstappen if it gets stretched closely until the end. The 24-year-old reflected on his wheel-to-wheel battle with Verstappen in carting days. Charles disclosed that he and Max were extremely aggressive, and it did not end well most of the time. As kids, the battle was quite messy. But now the two drivers have an improved relationship and a lot of respect for each other.
Hamilton also talked about the championship battle. He reckoned that Max had such a massive lead. He would be able to sail smoothly during the rest of the season. However, according to Hamilton, a lot could go wrong. Lewis concluded, \”I would advise Ferrari to keep their heads down and continue to push.\”