In The Race podcast, F1 connoisseurs wonder aloud just how good Charles Leclerc really is. The Monegasque beat his Ferrari teammate four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, but it wasn't flawless. According to F1 journalist Scott Mitchell, Leclerc can learn from the mistakes Max Verstappen made in 2018.
Small mistakes with big consequences for Leclerc
Leclerc drove his debut season at Sauber in 2018 and will enter his fourth season in Formula 1 in 2021. At Ferrari, this will be his third season and starting this year he will want to be the undisputed team leader now that Vettel is gone. F1 journalist Mitchell does not deny the class of the Monegasque but still sees flaws here and there.
The Brit draws a comparison with Verstappen in 2018. The Dutchman also entered his fourth season in F1 that year, just like Leclerc now. What Mitchell notices about the two young drivers: "He [Leclerc, ed.] is a bit like Verstappen was in 2018. He was careless then. Leclerc is not as chaotic as Verstappen was then, but he makes small mistakes that have big consequences."
Leclerc vs. Verstappen
Mitchell remains cautious in his criticism of Leclerc. "He miscalculates some situations on the tarmac differently. They're really just small mistakes in the end." His interview partners journalists Edd Straw and Mark Hughes agree with him.
Both Ferrari and Red Bull Racing have already managed to secure the two prodigies for a long time. When Ferrari is back to its old form, the spectacle can be expected between the drivers and it will be up to them to decide who is the better of the two.