Leclerc on Verstappen’s compliments: ‘I want that battle in F1’

Verstappen, who spoke in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, praised Leclerc for his pace in qualifying. The four-time world champion also touched on the overtaking ability of the Scuderia Ferrari driver.

Sharing his thoughts, Verstappen said:

Charles Leclerc has since responded to the words of the Dutch driver. The Ferrari driver highlighted the mutual respect between the pair, while also touching on the desire to one day have the opportunity to race Verstappen head-to-head.

“There is a lot of respect. We grew up together, we fought for many years together. Unfortunately, in Formula 1, we have not yet had the opportunity to fight as it should be, but I really hope that one day it will be the case. It is our duty to have a better car to go and look for them," he said via Sky Sports Italia.

While Leclerc and Verstappen have both been involved in some wheel-to-wheel battles on track, the pair have not been locked in any particular championship fight. The start of the 2022 campaign offered a glimpse of what on-track battles between the pair could look like, with the Grand Prix in Bahrain witnessing multiple lead changes between them.

With the 2026 season set to usher in a new era, the pair could be afforded the opportunity to battle things out for a championship, provided their respective teams have competitive cars.