Expectations around Verstappen and Leclerc high

Max Verstappen fought it out with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 as to which driver would take the world title. This season, Charles Leclerc seems to be in this fight as well, as he showed in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Jolyon Palmer enjoyed the fight both men had, he writes on Formula1.com.

Leclerc started the race on pole position. Right after the first pit stop Verstappen tried to overtake his competitor up to three times, but each time the Monegasque proved that he was not going to be beaten easily by reclaiming his spot. It provided a nice spectacle for the spectators and Formula 1 viewers.

At the end of the race Verstappen and Sergio Perez had to drop out unexpectedly, but that doesn't mean Palmer forgot the battle between Leclerc and Verstappen. Looking at the qualities of the drivers and cars, the racing driver is convinced that the fight was not an incident.

"With the Red Bulls running into trouble at the death, the reality is this battle didn’t count for much. But it does nonetheless set a stall out for what could be a terrific fight between these old adversaries this season, in cars that give them a chance to duke it out in a spectacular manner," Palmer said.