‘Leclerc knows how to challenge Verstappen much better than Hamilton did’ – Button. Jenson Button on Charles Leclerc.

Former Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button believes the only difference between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen is that the Red Bull driver is generally more aggressive. The two drivers, after the first four races of the 2022 Formula One season, are destined to be the two main protagonists of this year’s fight for the world championship.

“I think Max goes for every opportunity,” Jenson Button said, as reported by Total-Motorsport.com – “When overtaking, for example, he is a bit more aggressive. For him it works, he has a unique style and this makes the difference. They are both extremely skilled, but I think what Max can do with an unstable car is insane. He can drive an oversteering car very quickly. All his teammates have struggled with that, so he has a unique style and I think we’ve seen that over the years.”

A rivalry reborn
The rivalry between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc dates back to the 2012 WSK Euro Series in karts. In F1 there were small clashes, especially in 2019 at the Austrian and British Grand Prix, when neither driver wanted to give up. However, this year’s title race has been fought, so far, in a fair way and this is something Jenson Button would like to see continue – “It’s great to have them fighting for a championship,” Jenson Button said. “They have known each other for years, they competed against each other in karting and had many incidents together back then. I think Charles understands how to challenge Max much better than maybe Lewis did because he raced with him more in the junior formula years. “

Jenson Button on Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc leads the Formula 1 Drivers Standings with 27 points over Max Verstappen, despite the fact that he finished sixth at the Emilia Romagna GP after making a mistake trying to attack Sergio Perez for second place. It was the first error Charles Leclerc made in 2022 after scoring two sensational wins in Bahrain and Australia and a solid second place finish behind Max Verstappen in Saudi Arabia: “Charles looks very calm,” the former Formula 1 driver continued – “Max is giving it all and Charles seems very relaxed behind the wheel and chooses his moments. He is really strong and I think with a car like that, which is very competitive, he is hard to beat but if anyone can, it will be Max. Red Bull is still a strong car. We may see Mercedes more competitive in the latter part of the season, but it will take a few races before they get back up there. It’s been a fun season so far, I like the new regulation changes.”