Engineer Luigi Mazzola has once again emphasized that the only driver on the grid comparable to Max Verstappen is Charles Leclerc, although a key factor has created a gap between the two—and here’s what it is.
It’s difficult to compare Max Verstappen, four-time world champion in the last five years, with Charles Leclerc, who has collected only eight wins in the same period. The statistics obviously favor the Dutchman, yet anyone familiar with Formula 1 knows that the two drivers are similar in many respects. Here’s what Luigi Mazzola had to say on the matter.
Everyone dreams of a duel between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. When they have battled on track, they have delivered truly spectacular moments. Fans will remember the wheel-to-wheel battles of 2019, including some of the most exciting in Austria and England. And then, of course, at the start of 2022, when both drivers were fighting closely for the world championship until mid-season. From that moment, the Dutch champion gained the upper hand due to a significant ‘external’ shortfall affecting the Monegasque.
The problem with Leclerc…
“The relationship between the importance of the car and the driver is 70% car and 30% driver. Among the drivers, Max is worth 100. The only other driver on today’s grid who can give 100 is Leclerc, the only one comparable to Verstappen. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the structure or the car to allow him to fully express what he is capable of. The car is what wins and scores points, and it’s a technical issue. The most important element is the technical direction,” Luigi Mazzola explained to Race Anatomy. Over the years, the difference between Leclerc and Verstappen has been the car and the team. Ferrari has shown it was not ready for the world title, while Red Bull has dominated Formula 1 leading up to 2025.
Given Ferrari’s technical shortcomings, Luigi Mazzola considered it a serious mistake not to hire the genius Adrian Newey. “He should have been brought in for two reasons. One, because he knows how to design the car, and two, because he has been in the sport for forty years and knows every track detail. This is fundamental for a Formula 1 team. This is gold. Therefore, hiring Newey was essential for this reason.”
It’s these very details that have made the difference in the careers of Leclerc and Verstappen. Fans hope to see the two fight again under the new regulation cycle. Meanwhile, Ferrari has conducted preliminary tests for the next season, where there will be no room for error…
If Maranello can finally deliver a car worthy of its driver – and surround him with the technical structure Luigi Mazzola believes is missing – the dream head-to-head the entire F1 world has been waiting for could finally arrive.
Until then, the statistics will keep saying one thing… while insiders like Luigi Mazzola know the truth is far closer than the scoreboard suggests.
