Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen: that gesture of friendship in Parc Fermé after Monza

Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen: that gesture of friendship in Parc Fermé after Monza – VIDEO. The friendship between Verstappen and Leclerc remains indelible even in Monza's parc fermé.

The RB20 single-seater hasn’t won since the Spanish Grand Prix with Max Verstappen, and after the updates introduced at the Hungaroring circuit in Hungary, it seems unable to find the right balance. Many hypotheses exist, but few certainties regarding the downturn of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s car. The race at Monza was also intense, but the Dutchman didn’t fail to congratulate Charles Leclerc after his victory at Monza with a nice gesture of friendship.

At Red Bull, it seems increasingly difficult to solve the performance issues of the RB20. In Monza, the two RB20s showed up with micro-adjustments, including a cut front wing and rear wing to reduce drag. These modifications weren’t enough to stay close to the front-runners.

As if that wasn’t enough, during the Grand Prix, Max Verstappen suffered some electrical issues with his car. This unexpected problem significantly reduced the top speed of the RB20 #1, making it extremely difficult to fight and defend. A clear example is the battle with Lando Norris, where the MCL38 clearly had more momentum against an almost “crippled” RB20.

Despite the poor result, Max Verstappen, aware of the winner of the Monza GP, immediately tried to congratulate Charles Leclerc. In the onboard camera footage from Zhou’s Stake, parked behind Max Verstappen’s RB20 in parc fermé, this episode is captured. The Dutchman, while getting out of his car, notices Charles Leclerc’s imminent arrival to position himself in the winner’s spot. With a slight hurry to get out, Max gives a thumbs-up toward Charles Leclerc’s car, a first gesture of congratulations toward the Monegasque.

The interaction continues even after Charles Leclerc has parked his winning SF-24 #16. In fact, the two embrace, a sign that their friendship is extremely strong, despite the Dutchman being far from the podium. However, Max Verstappen’s gesture might have a slightly mischievous undertone. With Charles Leclerc’s victory at Monza and Lando Norris taking third place, Max Verstappen’s closest title rival, the Dutchman only lost 7 points after the Italian Grand Prix weekend.