Jean Alesi underlines similarities between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Jean Alesi on similarities between Charles and Max.

The first two events of the 2022 Formula 1 season, which took place in Bahrain and at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit (Saudi Arabia), were a great preview for F1 fans regarding the prospects of some incredible racing this year. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel and produced some amazing moves, fighting for the race win on both occasions, as the pair are currently tied at one victory apiece.

For now, at least, their rivalry is respectful. Charles Leclerc has been biding his time in an uncompetitive Scuderia Ferrari car during the last two championships, waiting for his chance to bounce back and settle some unfinished business with the Dutchman from past incidents when the two rivals have crossed swords. Their rivalry dates back to their karting days when the duo competed in Italy as children. A young Max had the beating of Charles more than a decade ago by taking the win in almost every championship he entered, as the Monegasque driver was coming in towards the back of the grid. Then from 2011, the international wins started coming for Charles Leclerc too.

For now, the respect between the two is admirable, but even between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the beginning of 2021 everything looked like a dream until the collision in Silverstone.

Former Scuderia Ferrari driver Jean Alesi underlines how much Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are alike: “When I see Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen I feel like I’m looking at a double image. One is a photocopy of the other. Charles may seem better at managing the race and feeling the key moments of a race, but that’s just an impression. We all have Max in mind as Hamilton’s rival. Between them there was a kind of competitive hatred that made both of them lose their sense of reality. This way of fighting now does not appear and Max Verstappen is able to mentally control every phase of the race. He is lucid, fair and correct when there is to overtake” – former Scuderia Ferrari driver Jean Alesi said, in a recent interview for Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.