via Getty
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Antonio Giovinazzi of Italy and Alfa Romeo Racing, Kevin Magnussen of Denmark and Haas F1, George Russell of Great Britain and Williams, Alexander Albon of Thailand and Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari and Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 stand on the grid before the F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 09, 2020 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Frank Augstein/Pool via Getty Images)
via Getty
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Antonio Giovinazzi of Italy and Alfa Romeo Racing, Kevin Magnussen of Denmark and Haas F1, George Russell of Great Britain and Williams, Alexander Albon of Thailand and Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari and Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 stand on the grid before the F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 09, 2020 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Frank Augstein/Pool via Getty Images)
Banter between Formula 1 drivers is commonplace. That being said, banter without any real bad blood, now that’s rare. Well, as it turns out, not all F1 drivers share a relationship like Juan Pablo Montoya and Michael Schumacher.
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At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc were tied into an intense battle. As things turned out, they tangled, and the Monegasque was worse for wear. Norris received a 5-second penalty for the infraction. Russell was quick to remind the Brit about this when Norris tried to get one up on Russell during an interview with Sky Sports.
During the interview, 1996 F1 Champion Damon Hill told Russell, “Lando will harry you on the first few laps.”
To which Lando Norris came up with a quick retort. While trying to diss both Leclerc and Russell, he said, “Just don’t do a Leclerc.” Funny, right? But Russell had the perfect put down!
“I heard it was your fault.”
Leclerc was the butt of the jokes after Qualifying, and his performance in Quali did not give him much to be optimistic about. When quizzed about his chances tomorrow, the Monegasque was quick to play it down.
Charles Leclerc not too optimistic about Ferrari’s chances against Red Bull on Sunday
Charles Leclerc has had a dismal season with Ferrari in 2022. Once title contenders, now they’ve slipped back into a battle with Mercedes for P2 in the constructors’ Championship. And at Abu Dhabi, at least for Leclerc, things seem as grim as they can be for a chance at victory.
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via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Mexico City Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – October 30, 2022 Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc before the race REUTERS/Carlos Perez Gallardo/Pool
Leclerc said post Qualifying, “The last lap of Max was really quick, but he used one more tire set so it’s difficult to compare because the track is improving a lot in those conditions, especially when the night starts to come.”
“So we’ll have to wait tomorrow to see but I believe it will be closer in the quali than in the race.”
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Charles Leclerc would hope that Ferrari gets their act together for 2023. But with Mercedes finding some of that lost edge, too, will Leclerc be able to compete successfully for the 2023 F1 title?
