Charles Leclerc held his nerve under treacherous pressure from Sergio Perez at Abu Dhabi to take home the P2 position in the WDC. The Monegasque driver executed a 1 stop strategy to perfection as Perez pushed him to the brink till the checkered flag. However, Leclerc will need to cut down on the gap against Max Verstappen massively if he’s to challenge the Dutchman for the championship.

Leclerc got off to a flying start in the championship year. He won 2 of the first 3 races and stood on the podium in Saudi Arabia. He opened up a healthy lead against the Dutchman. However, despite their strong start, the Monegasque finished the season 146 points behind the Red Bull driver.

Verstappen enjoyed a near-perfect season of dominance. Meanwhile, Leclerc and Ferrari were often the architects of their own downfall. In the latest episode of the Fast & Loose podcast, the hosts discussed a key difference between Verstappen and Leclerc.

Scott Mitchell-Malm said, “The difference between [Charles] Leclerc and [Max] Verstappen is that Leclerc will make 2-3 slightly inexplicable big errors during the season. That, I think, just comes with the territory with him.”

He also explained, “He’s such an aggressive driver, he likes to drive on the limit. And there’s been a few times this year where he’s caught himself kind of chasing the race a little bit and I think that just catches him out.”

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With the departure of team principal Mattia Binotto, it remains to be seen if the new boss can inspire Ferrari and Leclerc to charge for the title.

Red Bull ace Max Verstappen ready to defend his title in the new 24-race campaign

Max Verstappen is ready for the next season’s race calendar. He seems to have backtracked on his own comments made last year after winning the title in an extraordinary fashion. He declared that maintaining the intensity in his run of winning his maiden title was not sustainable in the long run. However, he now believes that drivers should rather stop if they are unprepared for the long fight.

When asked if he’s ‘prepared for a back-and-forth title fight over the course of 24 races’, Max Verstappen stated, “If you’re not prepared, it’s better to stop already, right? I mean, I think we are all racers and we love racing.”

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He further mentioned, “Of course, it’s just that it’s nice to have a season like I had last year but it’s also nice to have a season like this year. It just would be very tough if you have that every single year, the year I had last year.”

Verstappen won 15 races this season, creating a record for most race wins in a calendar year. His rivals Mercedes and Ferrari will certainly hope and beat his double world championship-winning streak next season.

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It will be interesting to watch how Red Bull and Max cope up with the budget cap penalty next season. Their rivals will be looking to pounce on the opportunity and come back stronger. Will Max Verstappen defend his crown to become a 3-time world champion?