In 2022, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen had a decent battle for the championship mid-way through the season. But in 2023, Verstappen blew the competition out of the water. Hence, the pair of Leclerc and Verstappen have seemingly switched sports to battle it out for silverware this year.
Both Leclerc and Verstappen will be squaring off in a game of Padel on the 10th of December, 2023. According to the X page of A1 Padel, “We start with the PRO AM with drivers @Charles_Leclerc, @Max33Verstappen, @NatoNorman and @NickCassidy.”
⭐️ LUXURY line-up for the closing of the #FranceGrandMaster !
We start with the PRO AM with drivers ️ @Charles_Leclerc, @Max33Verstappen, @NatoNorman and @NickCassidy_
Then at 11h, we’ll have the GRAND FINALE with the two best #A1Padel teams pic.twitter.com/2kpfEUiC56
— A1 Padel (@A1PadelOfficial) December 9, 2023
This shouldn’t come as a surprise for the fans of the drivers. It is common knowledge within the F1 paddock that Leclerc and Verstappen are fans of Padel. What’s more, the duo has been seen playing along with the other drivers from time to time.
The F1 community on X went berserk recently, when a video of the duo surfaced on the social media platform. Leclerc and Verstappen were engaged in a hard fought round of Padel. Even during the Singapore GP weekend, drivers like George Russell and Alex Albon joined the two to go at it at a few rounds of the sport.
Despite losing out to Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc wants to win in 2024
Max Verstappen stole all the accolades during the 2023 season. After breaking a handful of records, the Dutchman won a whopping 19 out of 22 races run this year. On the other hand, Leclerc could only finish 5th in the driver standings.
While the Bulls were dominant throughout the year, Ferrari clawed back a lot of performance with the SF-23. Despite an alarming pace deficit when the season began, the Maranello-based outfit was able to close the gap substantially to Red Bull. This would surely give Leclerc some much needed confidence going into the new season.
“If they can take a little bit from each other they both definitely stand a chance”
The Sky Sports F1 team discuss the Ferrari pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and what the team need to improve in 2024 pic.twitter.com/sqIGNjGOSe
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) December 8, 2023
Formula 1 is in its off season as we speak. However, the teams are already working hard on ensuring that their cars are prepped and ready for the 2024 season. Ferrari will surely feel like they have the upper hand in terms of development over their rivals.
After missing out on P2 in the Constructors’ standings to Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi GP, the Italian team has a larger portion of aerodynamic testing time as compared to their rivals. Hence, the Tifosi will be confident that the 2024 car will be faster and meaner than the lacking SF-23.
