Max Verstappen shares candid opinion on the Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc pairing at Ferrari

Max Verstappen feels the driver lineup of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari is going to be exciting for the sport. The Dutch driver is heading into the 2025 F1 season trying to equal Michael Schumacher's record of five consecutive title triumphs.

During his racing career, he has raced with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Against Hamilton, the title battle in 2021 is legendary, as it was one of the more intense seasons in the sport's history. At the same time, Max Verstappen has grown up with Leclerc, and the two have battled it out in their karting days.

In 2025, Ferrari will feature both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the same team. While the Monegasque will be trying to win his first title in F1, Hamilton is vying for a record eighth. When questioned about what he thought about the lineup, Max Verstappen felt that it would be exciting for the sport, but a lot would depend on the kind of car the team builds. He told the media, including autoracer:

"We all know how good Lewis is and we also know how good Charles is , so they have two great [Ferrari] drivers. I imagine it will be exciting for the sport in general. Of course, as teammates, you want to beat each other and then, of course, it will also depend on how good the car is."

Max Verstappen on his relationship with the Milton Keynes-based Red Bull squad

Max Verstappen was questioned about his relationship with the Milton Keynes-based squad as the driver is in his 10th season with the team. The driver said that the team was like a second family for him.

There is a challenge in front of the squad to close the gap to the front, and the fact that the team is working hard to close it is what gives him a lot of motivation. He said:

"It's like a second family to me and I really enjoy working with everyone in the team. I'm linked to Red Bull , I do a lot of things outside of F1 with them as well. I'm happy and the motivation is there. Last year we didn't get as many wins as we would have liked, but we still won the championship and now I'm just excited to look forward. I hope we can improve our car and I think that's already motivation."

Max Verstappen's 2024 season was an extraordinary one as he won with 437 points to his name, 63 ahead of runner-up Lando Norris. The Dutchman won a whopping nine races throughout the championship.

However his exploits weren't enough to see Red Bull win the Constructors' Championship, as they finished third behind McLaren and Ferrari.