P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Charles Leclerc has said that Max Verstappen’s claim he would’ve won the 2024 F1 title even sooner had he been racing a Ferrari or McLaren car is “a stretch”.
Last weekend in Las Vegas, Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship with two races left, despite Red Bull’s recent challenges. He dominated initially but faced a competitiveness dip due to Red Bull’s issues, leading to a 10-race winless streak. This decline allowed McLaren to overtake in the Constructors’ Championship, with Ferrari rising to push Red Bull to third place. Verstappen mentioned he could have clinched the title earlier with Ferrari or McLaren, suggesting McLaren would have helped him secure it even sooner. Leclerc, currently third in the standings, praised Verstappen as a special driver, attributing his success to confidence, but pointed out the difficulty in comparing cars. Leclerc expressed uncertainty about Verstappen’s claims, highlighting the challenge of assessing performance without firsthand knowledge of each car’s capabilities.
