'Not feeling like it will go wrong with Leclerc and Verstappen'

Robert Doornbos likes the way Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc fought with each other during the first two Grands Prix of the season. In Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the two top drivers fought intense duels with each other, but the respect on track was always there. In 2021 that was sometimes different between Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen.

More than once last season there was contract between the drivers of Mercedes and Red Bull Racing respectively. Sometimes it led to dropouts, as in Silverstone and Monza for example, and regularly time penalties were handed out for minor offenses. In the still early 2022 season, we haven't experienced such situations yet and Doornbos doesn't think that will happen anytime soon either.

"There is real wheel-to-wheel racing, hard, but fair and square. I don't have the feeling that with Leclerc and Max it can go wrong, maybe in race twenty if it really goes for the title. With Hamilton and Max it feels even more intense," said Doornbos, who enjoyed the battle in Jeddah between Verstappen and Leclerc."This was really beautiful racing and I've also never heard anyone so happy on the on-board radio with a P2."

Mercedes at a big disadvantage

Next week's race will be held at the Albert Park circuit during the Australian Grand Prix. Doornbos then expects another big battle between Ferrari and Red Bull. We do not have to take Mercedes into account for the time being, according to the Ziggo Sport analyst in conversation with Racexpress. In his view, Mercedes will certainly return to the front in time, but the formation from Brackley can put the world title of 2022 out of mind.