Could Max Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari SF-25? Experts weigh in. Could Max Verstappen outperform Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari SF-25.

The four-time world champion, Max Verstappen, won the Monza race by a clear margin. But would the Dutch driver still be capable of winning races in the Ferrari SF-25, or would he achieve results similar to those of Charles Leclerc? Here is the opinion of several experts.

The season the Monegasque driver is currently having is one of the best of his entire career. Leclerc has demonstrated remarkable maturity and consistency, to the point that many consider him the only driver capable of challenging Verstappen on equal terms. Between the two, there is an exciting rivalry, but Verstappen remains superior for some simple reasons. Max has had the opportunity to drive world-championship-winning cars, and the experience in handling certain situations can only be gained this way. The #16 has never even had the chance to fight for a world title. In the Race Anatomy episode following the Italian GP, one question emerged: would Verstappen perform better than Leclerc in the SF-25?

Verstappen and Ferrari: could the Dutchman win races with this car?
BOBBI: “In my opinion, Verstappen would not have been able to remain in the title fight with this car. Even though he is superior to others, he could not have compensated for the SF-25’s flaws.”
CAPELLI: “Max achieved some extraordinary things throughout the weekend, but even he would not have been able to keep the Ferrari in contention for the championship.”

MIYAKAWA: “I must say Charles also delivered a perfect lap in qualifying yesterday. We know he can push the car to the limit, so even Max would struggle.”

According to Sky experts, there is no scenario in which Verstappen could hope to win with the SF-25. The Red Bull has competitive peaks that Ferrari has practically never matched this season. We also know that Verstappen stated he would only choose the Maranello team if he could compete for the world title. It would be fascinating to see a Leclerc-Verstappen pairing in the Italian team, of course with a car capable of matching both drivers’ talents. The Monegasque will have to wait until 2026 to try to win his first world championship, assuming the Scuderia does its “homework.”