Charles Leclerc is having an incredible start of the year for Ferrari after two winless seasons. Red Bull\’s advisor feels that Leclerc is clearly leading the battle to be Ferrari\’s No. 1 driver in the 2022 championship. After two races in the championship, Leclerc is situated at the top spot of the F1 2022 rankings with 45 points, one victory, and two podiums. He is currently 12 points ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr, who has attained two podiums under his belt this season.
The reigning world champion Max Verstappen is still trailing Leclerc by 20 points after a victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Red Bulls\’ advisor Marko is looking forward to the intense fight for the championship between Leclerc and Verstappen after the duo raced pretty closely at the Sakhir and Jeddah Circuit. Verstappen managed to outfox Leclerc at the Jeddah circuit and won the first race of the season for Red Bull.
Marko Reckons Leclerc As Ferrari\’s No. 1 Driver:
Red Bull was on the back foot after both their cars had to retire in Bahrain due to a fuel pressure malfunction. The team lost 30 points during the race, leaving them behind on the championship rankings. However, Verstappen managed to gain 10 ten points after defeating Leclerc at the Jeddah Circuit.
Talking about Ferrari\’s run this season, Marko said that Sainz beat Leclerc last year, but Leclerc has the upper hand this season. It means that Ferrari cannot expect much support from Sainz. Marko added, \”So it will be a situation like ours, where there is a very clear number one driver.\”
Marko also revealed that the double retirement at Bahrain hit Red Bull hard. However, he feels that there is enough time for his team to regain the lead.
The former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher is also looking forward to the rivalry between Verstappen and Leclerc. The Formula one personality said that it was back in 2010 when two teams fought as equals. It was also between Red Bull and Ferrari. The German driver told that the cars are built under new regulations. They are still in the early phase of their development. Ralf believes the championship battle this season will come down to who can develop their cars as the fastest.