Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc believes only Red Bull “know exactly” why Max Verstappen is so superior over team-mate Sergio Perez, with the Monegasque believing that it’s difficult to give an opinion without knowing the “full picture”.
Verstappen has been exceptional once again this season, with the Dutchman currently set to claim a third consecutive Drivers’ Championship.
He’s been unstoppable and in a complete league of his own, to the extent that he’s won 10 of the 12 completed races in 2023.
Eight of those wins have come consecutively, a run he’s currently on ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.
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On the two occasions this season where Verstappen hasn’t won and Perez has, the 25-year-old has finished second.
His form is formidable and has seen him build a huge 125-point lead over Perez in the Drivers’ Championship, with Leclerc admitting that he “cannot explain” how the two Red Bull drivers are separated by so much.
“I think Max is a great driver, but at the same time, there are many who cannot explain such a wide margin between him and Checo,” Leclerc told the Italian version of Motorsport.com.
“Personally, I think it is impossible to read the situation well from the outside, only inside the team do they know exactly everything.
“At times the margin between Max and Checo was greater than I would have expected, but on the other hand, Verstappen is an incredible driver and it is probably very difficult to be alongside him. But again, I don’t have the full picture of the situation.”
Some have suggested that Red Bull have developed the RB19 to suit Verstappen’s driving style; however, Perez has labelled these rumours as “crazy”.
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“The cars are the same. The team’s interest is to have both cars up there every race. It’s crazy what people are saying outside. There is a lot of speculation,” Perez told Mundo Deportivo after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The difference between the two Red Bull drivers was on show at the Belgian Grand Prix, where Perez led until Lap 17.
Verstappen took the lead on Lap 17 and went on to defeat the Mexican by just over 22 seconds, a gap he built in 27 laps.