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Former F1 driver Anthony Davidson believes Charles Leclerc has not forgiven Max Verstappen for forcing him off the track in Austria 2019. The Briton also claims Verstappen is going to have to rethink his racing strategy against Leclerc in 2022.
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The former driver-turned-analyst Davidson said of the epic Verstappen-Leclerc scrap:
“With two or three laps remaining, he [Verstappen] had a go at the Turn 3 hairpin, didn’t make it stick the first time, because he didn’t really squeeze Charles and gave him room around the outside, and Charles came back – and that was all fair. The next lap, however, he pushed him off the track and I don’t think Charles has ever forgiven him for that. I think Charles, every time he is with Max now, treats him differently, and that’s what I immediately saw come into play in Bahrain.”
The 2022 season opener did not disappoint, with Ferrari officially making a comeback. The team secured their first win and 1-2 finish since 2019, leading many to count out Mercedes and others from the 2022 title fight. While Scuderia's looked fairly dominant throughout the race, driver Charles Leclerc did have an epic battle with reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen sent his car down Charles Leclerc's inside three laps in a row in Bahrain, taking his chances in his usual aggressive style. Onboards from the Monegasque driver's car, however, showed that the 24-year-old refrained from going into eighth gear, allowing the Dutchman to pass. Leclerc would then simply repass the Dutchman using the DRS advantage, taking the lead again.
Anthony Davidson claims Max Verstappen needs to rethink his racing strategy against Charles Leclerc
Given their history of intense racing right from their karting days, Anthony Davidson believes Max Verstappen needs to rethink his strategy against the Monegasque driver in 2022. While not giving the Dutchman a clear plan of action, Davidson said:
“Max is going to have to rethink how he races him, I think, going forward from here – it is going to be interesting.”
The Briton believes the upcoming race in Jeddah will shake up the pecking order once again, giving some teams a sudden advantage due to the high-downforce nature of the track. He said:
“Jeddah is a fast, flowing track, very smooth and I do expect there to be a shake up in the order, naturally. Perhaps Mercedes will be a bit closer to the front of the competition, for example; they may be able to run their car lower to the ground, which is a bit of an Achilles’ heel for them. Maybe Red Bull will be the best car in Jeddah and Ferrari will be lagging just that bit behind.”
With the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix set to take place this weekend, all eyes are on Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes as the title competition seems to be between the three mavericks of the sport.
