Max Verstappen details key difference between his rivalries with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

While the title fight went to the wire last year, there’s a bigger gap developing at the top in 2022

Max Verstappen remains well-placed to defend his Formula One driver’s title this year despite a tricky outing at Silverstone, after he pipped Lewis Hamilton to triumph in last season’s dramatic ending to the season.

This time around, due to Mercedes struggling with their new car, it has been Charles Leclerc he is facing off with on a regular occurrence, with the revitalised Ferrari team tasting success in the British Grand Prix last time out as his teammate Carlos Sainz won.

For Verstappen, though, there’s a clear difference between how the tension has been building this year and how last term’s rivalry was played out and portrayed - and it’s nothing to do with the men behind the wheel.

Instead, he says there has aways been respect between himself and Hamilton, but rather than last year it was their respective teams who sometimes overstepped the mark, while matters have been far more cordial between Red Bull and Ferrari in 2022.

“I don’t think necessarily it was between the drivers, it was mainly because it’s a completely different approach between the teams last year and this year, and probably there was a bit more respect between the two teams as well this year,” he told Channel 4.

“I think that helps a lot for sure, and I’ve known Charles for a longer time because we basically grew up together throughout racing and go karting, and all the way to Formula 1.

“But I always had [and] still have a lot of respect for Lewis and we always got on well, and also today, you know, as racing drivers, you know you come together but you also very quickly forget and just move on.”

It’s also worth noting that Leclerc and Verstappen have a long history together in the sport, having progressed through the ranks together.

Friendship is forgotten on the track, of course, but after the race it’s about getting on with matters to ensure they’re in condition to win next time out, with little looking back to take snipes at what might have happened in the past, the Red Bull man says.

“The amount of times I’ve crashed with Charles in the past, but now we can laugh about it; you know racing drivers, they of course, look at themselves.

“We want to do everything we can to win a race and I think what is also the positive side about racing is that we can forget very quickly. We’ll just move on and just go to the next.

“Luckily, you also have a lot of races for that. But yeah, this year, it seems a little bit calmer, and I just hope it stays like that and you can just have a great race.”