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Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen had an entertaining battle during the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The duo overtook each other multiple times with DRS in the final few laps, and Leclerc's tactics left commentator Jenson Button highly impressed.
The 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix pitted two strong drivers, Leclerc and Verstappen, against each other. Both had a fast and competitive car and fought tooth and nail, resulting in an entertaining race.
While Sergio Perez started on pole, Leclerc passed him to gain P1 before Verstappen caught up to him during the final few laps. Both drivers used DRS multiple times to surpass each other, but the Ferrari used interesting tactics to bait Verstappen.
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On lap 44, Charles Leclerc forced Max Verstappen to use DRS and slowed down a bit. However, when Verstappen locked up, Leclerc overtook him to maintain the race lead. Former F1 champion Jenson Button, who was commentating during the race, was moved by Leclerc's racecraft.
"Leclerc is racing to the tactics and style of DRS. When Charles sees Max lock up, he knows he's hard on the brakes, and he just goes and pounces like it's a safety car restart in the middle of a grand prix. It's the weirdest way to go racing, but Leclerc has had the measure of Verstappen and kept the lead," Button said.
However, despite fending off the Dutchman for most of the race, Leclerc lost his race lead on lap 47.
He had another go at Max Verstappen on the final lap but wasn't quick enough to pull off a move and settled for P2 while Verstappen got victory. That year, the Red Bull driver won his second title with a significant lead in the standings.
Charles Leclerc anticipates a late comeback due to slow recovery from Ferrari
In the 2025 F1 season, Ferrari's struggles have peaked. In four racces, they haven't secured a podium finish. In Bahrain, Charles Leclerc missed out on a P3 finish by a whisker, as Lando Norris passed him in the second half.
When asked how long it will take for Ferrari to recover the car's performance, Leclerc told Motorsport.com:
“I don’t know. I think I felt the tunnel is a bit longer than what I would want. Eventually, I’m sure that we’ll find our way, but how long before we do? I don’t know."
Charles Leclerc started from P2, but an error at the start dropped him down to P4. While Lando Norris' time penalty put him back on P3 momentarily, the McLaren driver eventually closed down the gap to get a podium.
