'Charles Leclerc much better than Max Verstappen'

‘Charles Leclerc much better than Max Verstappen’ – Eddie Irvine. Charles currently holds down third place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc is a “much, much better” driver than Max Verstappen as he makes fewer mistakes, that’s according to former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine. Although Charles Leclerc is only in his second season in Formula 1, the 21-year-old has joined Max Verstappen and reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton as one of the big stars of the show.

The Monégasque driver claimed his first F1 win at the Belgian Grand Prix and followed that up a week later with a victory at Ferrari’s home race, holding off Lewis Hamilton and then Valtteri Bottas to win at Monza.

His post-summer break run of four successive pole positions also meant he became the first Ferrari driver since Michael Schumacher to bag four Saturday P1s on the trot.

Former racing driver from Northern Ireland Eddie Irvine, who competed in Formula One between 1993 and 2002, and finished runner-up in the 1999 World Drivers’ Championship, driving for Scuderia Ferrari reckons it proves Charles Leclerc is a better driver than Verstappen: “There is no argument, Leclerc is much, much better,” the former Ferrari driver said at the Il Festival dello Sport in Trento prior to the Japanese Grand Prix – “He has four poles this year and he does not even have the best car in F1, sorry Ferrari. While Verstappen continues to make many stupid mistakes despite having been in F1 for years, many more than Leclerc. Charles looks to be very focused and someone who doesn’t make mistakes. He could have won more than two races and he doesn’t have the best car. This tells you a lot. And then in Monza what he did racing against Hamilton was crazy, maybe not 100 percent legal but amazing to watch. He’s very clever, intelligent and very good. Much better than Verstappen for me there is no discussion.” – he explained.