Photo: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
With Red Bull’s Max Verstappen starting to close in on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the two title contenders recently opened up about their respective positions in the Driver’s Standings and whether they prefer to be the hunter or the one who’s being hunted.
Leclerc currently holds a 19-point lead over Verstappen and when asked about his position, the championship leader gave the media a very down-to-earth response.
“Well, I think we have been in only one position since the beginning of the season, which means we are hunted for now. I quite like this position to be honest, because it means that you are doing something right.”
“But it is also true that it’s two races that the gap is slowly closing down. But yeah, I don’t really mind, to be honest, whichever position I am in – I just want to be the most competitive out there. And at the moment, it seems that Red Bull has the upper hand in the races,” stated the Monegasque driver.
While Red Bull aren’t expected to bring any significant upgrades to Spain, Verstappen does appear to be very much as quick if not quicker than Leclerc on the track.
“I like the position I’m in at the moment, knowing that the car is quick,” said the reigning F1 world champion, while discussing the same topic. “And for example, at the end of last year, of course, I was the one who was being hunted. That was actually not a great position because I knew that we didn’t have the pace anymore. I knew it was going to be very tricky to the end. So yeah, just depends a bit on how competitive you are as well.”
With Mercedes having won seven of the last eight Grand Prix in Spain, Verstappen is now hoping to claim his first victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 2016. Meanwhile, if Leclerc wins, he will become Ferrari’s first Spanish Grand Prix winner since Fernando Alonso in 2013.
“Well, I think we have been in only one position since the beginning of the season, which means we are hunted for now. I quite like this position to be honest, because it means that you are doing something right.”
“But it is also true that it’s two races that the gap is slowly closing down. But yeah, I don’t really mind, to be honest, whichever position I am in – I just want to be the most competitive out there. And at the moment, it seems that Red Bull has the upper hand in the races,” stated the Monegasque driver.
While Red Bull aren’t expected to bring any significant upgrades to Spain, Verstappen does appear to be very much as quick if not quicker than Leclerc on the track.
“I like the position I’m in at the moment, knowing that the car is quick,” said the reigning F1 world champion, while discussing the same topic. “And for example, at the end of last year, of course, I was the one who was being hunted. That was actually not a great position because I knew that we didn’t have the pace anymore. I knew it was going to be very tricky to the end. So yeah, just depends a bit on how competitive you are as well.”
With Mercedes having won seven of the last eight Grand Prix in Spain, Verstappen is now hoping to claim his first victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 2016. Meanwhile, if Leclerc wins, he will become Ferrari’s first Spanish Grand Prix winner since Fernando Alonso in 2013.
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