Leclerc on rivalry with Verstappen: 'Back then we hated each other sometimes'

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc will fight together for the title in Formula 1 this season. It is not the first time they have crossed swords. They have been competing on the track since they were very young.

Verstappen and Leclerc met many times in their karting days. Sometimes Verstappen won, other times Leclerc. Sometimes neither won, because then they would have pushed each other off the track. In any case, the rivalry between them was huge. So big that they sometimes hated each other, Leclerc now says to The Race.

By now, there is no question of that at all. Indeed, the respect between the two is great. "It's a very different situation," says Leclerc. "We have matured a lot, we are much older. At this time there were episodes which make us hate each other, I’m pretty sure, in some occasions. But then you grow up."

Once upon a time, it was a dream: to reach Formula One. Both drivers achieved that goal. Meanwhile, they are the leading contenders for the world title. "So, it’s great now to be fighting in Formula 1, and there’s a lot of respect for each other. It has changed for sure,” Leclerc believes.