Racing
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Charles Leclerc says his relationship with Max Verstappen has changed completely since their combative karting years, revealing that each once saw the other as “a bad person” but that he would now even welcome Verstappen as a future Ferrari teammate.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver described a rivalry that was shaped by direct competition from a young age and has since settled into mutual respect. “I would love to fight Verstappen in the very last corner,” Leclerc said. “We both give no quarter. Our bond has really become much more mature over the years.”
Leclerc said that maturity stands in sharp contrast to how they viewed each other when they were growing up in karting. “I was convinced he was a bad person, and he thought exactly the same about me,” he said. “But now that relationship has completely changed.” He added that once the visor goes down, friendship still disappears, but age and experience have changed how they understand each other away from the track.
That shared history remains central to how Leclerc now sees Verstappen. The two started together in 2010 and, as Leclerc put it, “went through all the karting classes together,” a background that made their early clashes intense and now gives the relationship a different weight.
Leclerc said that is also why the idea of sharing a Ferrari garage with Verstappen would not intimidate him, despite Verstappen’s record. He called the Red Bull driver “an exceptional driver” and pointed to his four world titles, but said, “I would absolutely not be afraid if it ever happens. It would also be a beautiful story, because we started together in 2010 and went through all the karting categories together.”
He also made clear he is not looking beyond Ferrari’s current lineup. Asked whether he would like to see Verstappen at the team, Leclerc replied: “Let’s first enjoy Lewis,” a nod to current teammate Lewis Hamilton. Even so, Leclerc’s comments underlined how far one of motorsport’s fiercest junior rivalries has moved, from distrust in karting to the possibility of one day becoming teammates at Ferrari.