"He attacks and overtakes, performs high-class manoeuvres" - Charles Leclerc is the primary reason for watching a GP with 'maximum attention,' says former F1 driver

Former F1 driver Jean Alesi has heaped praise on Charles Leclerc, claiming that the Monegasque is the primary reason for him to watch an F1 race “with maximum attention”.

Alesi said that there was “nothing comparable” to the amount of fun that Leclerc delivers with his “really exceptional” driving on a Sunday. In his column for Corriere Della Sera, the Frenchman wrote:

“There is nothing comparable to the fun that [Charles] Leclerc gives every Sunday. I think he is the driver who, in absolute terms, for years, has led me to wait and then to watch a GP with maximum attention, total enjoyment.”

“He attacks and overtakes, performs high-class manoeuvres. Really exceptional.”

Charles Leclerc has been at the center of numerous exciting on-track battles during the last two races at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring. His fierce defense against the chasing pack during a safety car restart at the 2022 F1 British GP and his aggressive overtakes at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP that sealed his victory have provided great entertainment to the fans.

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Charles Leclerc beat Max Verstappen on “equal footing” at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP

Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes that Charles Leclerc’s triumph over championship rival Max Verstappen at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP was on “an equal footing”. Villeneuve believes the victory provides a much-deserved boost to the Monegasque’s championship hopes.

In his column for Formule1, he wrote:

“The victory is of course good for his confidence. That first overtaking manoeuvre on [Max] Verstappen especially, they were on equal footing – the same amount of fuel and the same tyres. That was a good battle. After that, the differences in tyres plus the DRS were too big. Verstappen didn’t really defend there anymore either.”

Charles Leclerc broke a 7-race winless streak to take his third victory of the season in Austria. With this, he cut his deficit to Max Verstappen after losing the championship lead due to lack of reliability and misfortune.

His victory, combined with Sergio Perez’s DNF, helped the Monegasque move up to P2 in the drivers' standings, with just 38 points between himself and Verstappen.