Herbert says Verstappen should watch out for Leclerc: 'Absolutely'

Ferrari was the only team in the 2023 Formula 1 season that was able to keep Red Bull Racing from a victory. With Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the Italian Scuderia finished P3 in the constructors' championship, just behind Mercedes. Leclerc nevertheless scored highly with Johnny Herbert.

Herbert on Leclerc

"But I think Charles showed at the end of the year that he’s moving in the right direction. Can he attack Max and Lewis? Absolutely he can and he’s proven it," Herbert told PlanetF1. "The battles that they’ve had, wheel-to-wheel battles that he’s had with Max, they have a respect for each other, I think which is very, very important," Herbert said.

Leclerc, who is the same age as Verstappen, has quite a career ahead of him if all goes well. Sainz and Leclerc's contracts expire at the end of 2024, but Ferrari hopes to extend them soon. Leclerc has been presented with a new five-year deal, which would keep him locked in at Ferrari until 2029 and earn 50 million a year. It seems only a matter of time before this deal is announced.