Charles Leclerc Finally Defeats Max Verstappen, Just Not How He Pictured It

Sabyasachi Biswas | 16/10/2023

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have been rivals in motorsport from a very young age as the duo often took on each other in various racing series. Their rivalry continued even after they arrived in F1 and is still going hot. However, they competed in a different sport of late, and this time, it was Leclerc who came out on top against the Dutchman.

Verstappen and Leclerc came head-to-head against each other in a game called Padel. This game has gained huge popularity around the world recently, and F1 drivers were no exception. Apart from them, numerous other drivers took part in this tennis-squash hybrid game.

From George Russell to Lando Norris, from Lance Stroll to Pierre Gasly, the Singapore GP saw drivers indulge themselves in a whole different sport. However, the most anticipated event was the Verstappen versus Leclerc match-up as fans reacted to the results online.

Fans react as Charles Leclerc defeats Max Verstappen

Even though Verstappen managed to get the better of Leclerc throughout the F1 season, it was a whole different scenario when it came to Padel. The Monegasque managed to beat the Dutch driver and his partner, and it was a moment to rejoice for the fans and Leclerc alike.

Given below are some of the reactions on X by the fans:

@clara finally had something to celebrate.

@nini rejoiced as Max Verstappen had to embrace the defeat.

@can did not know that it was Leclerc who won the Padel game.

How did Padel fever catch the F1 world off guard?

Padel is a sport that has been increasing its popularity with every passing minute. Even the F1 world wasn’t left behind, as most of the young guns tasted this sport when they were in Singapore for the 2023 Asian leg.

As the drivers took their time off to have a go at the sport, Russell had some interesting insights to share. Talking about this, he said, as per GP Blog, “The second night, they said it [the Court] sold out after hours. And when I arrived there, I had Lance [Stroll] playing on the court next to me.”

Following this, he added, “Then it was Lando [Norris] and I playing. And then on the other court, it was Pierre [Gasly] and Antonio Giovinazzi.” All in all, the F1 drivers were seen playing a different game together and bringing in a sense of camaraderie for the first time after the regular and usual golf sessions.

Post Edited By: Naman Gopal Srivastava
Charles Leclerc George Russell Lance Stroll Lando Norris Max Verstappen Pierre Gasly

About the author

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Sabyasachi Biswas

Sabyasachi Biswas is an F1 journalist at The SportsRush. With over one and a half decades of love for the sport and five years of experience in the field, he dreams to be a regular at the paddock when the lights go out. A Red Bull fan and F1 fan in general over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen dominate the track. Apart from F1, he's also a big-time Madridista and Federer fanatic. He was a sub-junior level footballer, won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak throughout, he tries different cuisines and learns new cultures whenever he's away from the keyboard.

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