Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Silverstone, 2019

Verstappen: Leclerc’s driving showed he’s ‘still sore from Austria’

2019 British Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen says he thought Charles Leclerc put up a stronger fight in the British Grand Prix following their fight for victory in Austria two weeks ago.

Verstappen made contact with Leclerc as he passed the Ferrari driver to win at the Red Bull Ring. He said his rival fought more vigorously at Silverstone today, and complained on the radio his rival was making defensive moves very late.

“I think he was a little bit sore still from Austria so he was defending really hard,” said Verstappen. “But it’s fine, I’m all for that.

“Of course I didn’t want to take too much risk in those battles to damage the car because I knew we were quite a bit faster so I just needed to pick my moment. But then luckily the team did it for me with a good strategy and then it was all looking good for a good result.”

Verstappen’s race was ruined when Leclerc’s team mate Sebastian Vettel crashed into him while the pair were fighting for position. Had it not been for that Verstappen believes he could have finished on the podium.

“We were clearly faster than Ferrari in the race,” he said. “But I never really had clear laps.

“I think Lewis [Hamilton] was really quick but in general I think we could have finished second or third today.”

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47 comments on “Verstappen: Leclerc’s driving showed he’s ‘still sore from Austria’”

  1. Panagiotis Papatheodorou (@panagiotism-papatheodorou)
    14th July 2019, 18:56

    It was hard racing for me. Leclerc was a bit naughty after the restart to be sure but other than that, I thought his defense was really good. Max also did a great job at attacking him. Leclerc better do some classes to Vettel as well.

  2. Leclerc was phenomenal today. I used to think that Verstappen was unstoppable, but Charles proved me wrong. Just brilliant.

    1. CL did great, except for the stopping Max part. Oh they had great duels, and it was a blast to watch, but Max had prevailed until he was hit by SV.

  3. Leclerc did very well. At least he didn’t seem to have moved twice the way Max used to (?) do while defending his position. If this is what come of being ‘sore’, I hope Leclerc continues this way. What did Max expect? Leclerc would just wave him past since he had the faster car? It was a fantastic battle and instead of complaining on the radio and now making it seem as if Leclerc did something wrong but ‘I am fine with it’, Max is coming across as insecure.

    1. If anything… Leclerc chages his opinion from race to race, whatever fits his purpose and Max is insecure… ehm..?
      Remember Leclerc at Monaco, that was the absolute roughest driver of this season, followed by a lot of whining in Austria on to doing some hard racing in Silverstone. Leclerc was on the limit and he knew it and it’s good to be on the limit!

      I think Max absolutely expected Leclerc would give him a hard time and enjoyed it, he would have beaten Leclerc one way or the other anyways. Ferrari and RBR where about even at Silverstone, the drivers really made the difference this time…and it gave us some brilliant racing

    2. I knew there was going to be a new accident of Verstappen this race, i didnt know with which driver will he collide.But it was clear he was crazy and salty all the race and in the end bang, he got it. Congratulations another “race” incident for him. Its a shame it wasnt like the one in Brazil but anyway he tasted his own medicine again.

  4. “…[Verstappen] complained on the radio his rival was making defensive moves very late” – more than a tad rich coming from the reason behind the introduction of the ‘Max Verstappen rule’ [which I understand was abandoned this year].

    1. @gnosticbrian

      more than a tad rich coming from the reason behind the introduction of the ‘Max Verstappen rule’ [which I understand was abandoned this year]

      It was, because it had been a stupid rule to begin with.
      But yeah, coming out of Verstappen’s mouth, that complaint cannot be taken seriously.

    2. F1oSaurus (@)
      14th July 2019, 20:13

      @gnosticbrian That “rule” was abandoned right after Vettel got a penalty for violating it.

      https://www.racefans.net/2016/11/10/verstappen-rule-led-to-vettel-penalty-whiting/

      1. Nope. The ‘Verstappen rule’ was never a new rule created because of Max’s actions with Kimi. Max pushed the envelope too far a few times agains Kimi and against LH, and so Max and the other drivers were reminded at the time about not moving on another driver who has already committed to a corner wrt braking. It still holds true today. It’s still a rule, Max didn’t invent it, nor has it been abandoned. All that happened was that in 2016, when Max was still a bit hot headed and overly enthusiastic, he went too far and got his wrist slapped for it, and it was a reminder to everyone what one can and cannot do against another driver who is already committed under braking. The rule already existed, and only looks abandoned because drivers haven’t done it since Max did, and at which time Whiting had meetings with the drivers to remind them of the rules surrounding moving on a driver while he is already braking for a corner.

  5. Sounds like that armchair diagnosis of narcissism hit the nail on the head.

  6. Top tier racecraft from LEC both on defense and offense. Max is right it was a bit of payback for Austria.
    It’s rare to see drivers at this level going at it for 20 laps in F1.

    1. Josh (@canadianjosh)
      14th July 2019, 19:36

      Hopefully it’s the new normal. You can tell how talented they are compared to the two experienced Haas drivers going wheel to wheel for 1 corner today.

  7. Josh (@canadianjosh)
    14th July 2019, 19:34

    If anyone is nervous about what F1 will be like without Lewis, don’t be, these two boys are very good wheel to wheel fighters and both are future champions. My favourite driver tends to change week to week based on different scenarios but today I was cheering both of these guys on. I almost had a tear for Pierre Gasly today as well. I’m sure he’ll sleep well tonight. My one issue right now is what the hell is wrong with Seb? I truly believe he is doubting himself because Leclerc has been smoking him as of late on Saturday. I can’t help but think if Ferrari didn’t play favourites all the time Leclerc would be higher up in the points.

  8. GtisBetter (@)
    14th July 2019, 19:38

    I found leclerc his comment along the lines of:”I didn’t know we could race this hard so now I know” a bit childish considering his aggresive moves in Monaco. He clearly fought with a purpose today and did all kind of naughty things like weaving and pushing Max of the track. Not that I mind, cause this is how you should race. Hard, but not crossing the line. He would have lost to Max if it wasn’t for that meddling kid Vettel 😃.

    1. @passingisoverrated Leclerc’s moves in Monaco were more late lunges that seemed quite desperate (but really the only way to overtake in Monaco), rather than about forcing an opponent off the track in a legal manner.

  9. Watch your back Max.
    You might not be the tough guy for much longer ;)

    1. @jeffreyj Next time, please read the article before commenting. He clearly states that “It’s fine, I’m all for that”. Perhaps you should heed your own advice of “shut up” next time you do so.

  10. F1oSaurus (@)
    14th July 2019, 20:15

    Leclerc already warned ahead of the race that if that kind of bad behavior was allowed that he would go that far himself too.

    I guess it’s a shock to Verstappen that other drivers start driving that dirty. But these are new times and apparently that’s what the public wants instead of clean fights.

    1. Josh (@canadianjosh)
      14th July 2019, 21:30

      Did you not enjoy those two going at it today?
      If it was too rough for your liking isn’t the women’s tennis at Wimbledon going on today? Or perhaps you could hop on a floatie and float in the deep end of my pool with my grandma this afternoon, I’ll get you a ginger ale as well and when you get out I’ll dry you off and get you some vanilla ice cream, if you promise me you won’t splash her.

      1. I thought Canadians were “nice” and polite 😀

        1. Josh (@canadianjosh)
          15th July 2019, 6:25

          :) we are but I enjoy a good hard ribbing lol

          1. The thing is that hard racing is spectacular for the people that go to the race, or watch partial races. But im the end all this accidents destroys world title hopes and creates very bad mood in the people seeing all the bans to other drivers not named Max Verstappen. So people dont like it.

      2. F1oSaurus (@)
        15th July 2019, 19:30

        @canadianjosh Sure, this time it was fine, but too often blocking gets out of hand and it actually destroys racing.

        Like what Vettel did in Canada or what Verstappen did in Austria. What could have been a long and fair fight is turned into a sordid affair in one instance of dirty driving.

    2. @f1osaurus You sound a little sore yourself. And where did you read into Max’s comments that he is ‘shocked?’ Indeed he was pleased they were allowed to race it out, and after all, Max prevailed again, at least in his duel with CL, and was looking to finish ahead of him but for SV’s mistake, he having also been passed by Max.

      1. F1oSaurus (@)
        15th July 2019, 19:32

        @robbie Why do I need to read when I’m guessing what his motivation is for saying what he’s quoted to have said? Do you even try to understand what people write? Or do you think you sound clever when you come up with the dumbest interpretation you can think of and bounce that back at people. Because really, it just makes you look dumb.

        1. @f1osaurus I guess you can’t read because I said ‘read into’ not read. Anyway, carry on being insultosaurus when you have nothing productive to contribute.

  11. Ow shut up Max! For crying out loud.

    Today we saw great racing on the very limit and sometimes a bit over it. Leclerc didn’t do anything Verstappen wouldn’t do in his position. This is EXACTLY what we want.

    1. Yes indeed!! Max sais he is all in for this. Please let someone shut him up.

    2. Ow shut up Jeffrey! For crying out loud.

      Today we saw great racing on the very limit and sometimes a bit over it. Leclerc didn’t do anything Verstappen wouldn’t do in his position. This is EXACTLY what we want. And both Max and Charles said it was ok for them!

  12. Mark in Florida
    14th July 2019, 22:05

    The way you drive is the way you get driven. Shut up and drive.

    1. That’s what she said ;)

  13. While I’m not a fan of his comment, today was the first time I have seen Verstappen keep it together for a long fight without doing stupid stuff. Sure, he was ballsy, especially when he kept his foot down after being pushed wide, but no trying to muscle his way through in his formerly standard “back off or we’ll crash” way. Just a magnificent drive.

    It’s a great shame that he was (almost) taken out by Vettel after such a mature drive. I just hope he won’t take the wrong lesson from that.

  14. I hope he is sore for 10 more years, if this continues.

  15. Hilarious listening to Max complain about late defensive moves; they literally made a rule because of his.

    1. No they didn’t. The rule about moving on a trailing driver after he has already committed to his braking already existed. Max had to be reminded of it when he did it a few years ago, but they certainly did not make a rule because of something Max did.

      1. F1oSaurus (@)
        15th July 2019, 19:37

        @robbie

        they certainly did not make a rule because of something Max did.

        Dude seriously. They DID make changes to the rules for what Verstappen did.

        Vettel got a penalty for breaking that rule and after that it was immediately removed again. Karma for all the crying Vettel did to get that rule change trying to halt Verstappen’s overly harsh defending and then Vettel is the one and only to get hit by it.

        1. @f1osaurus Prove it. Show me the addition to the rule book in 2016. Show me where it has now been removed. Please cite the exact rule number and sub-number.

          1. F1oSaurus (@)
            15th July 2019, 20:42

            @robbie Dude you are just embarrassing yourself more. Changes like that don’t come in “sub-numbers”. In fact it’s nothing like that at all. These rule changes (or clarification additions) come in event notes. This was called the “Verstappen rule” in all media.

            Either way Vettel got a penalty for it in Mexico and after that it was revoked again.

            If you are not too embrassed to admit that you really didn’t know any of this and that you are too stupid to find these event notes on the FIA site yourself then perhaps I can help you, but I’m afraid you embarrassed yourself more than enough already that you don’t need to admit all that.

          2. @f1osaurus So lovely chatting with you. I see your level of insulting attitude increases the more you are caught out with your unfounded drivel. You still haven’t produced any proof as there is none. The media calling it the ‘Verstappen rule’ has nothing to do with the actual rule book. Please provide the documentation where this rule was ‘revoked.’ The onus is not on me to support your argument, the onus is on you. But of course you have nothing but unfounded drivel to go by so of course you have turned it around to insults towards me in order to deflect from your inability to support your argument.

            I’ll repeat, the ‘Verstappen rule’ was not new when Max broke it, nor has it been revoked. Or perhaps provide the information that says drivers can now jump in front of other drivers who have already committed to a corner under braking, without consequence.

          3. F1oSaurus (@)
            16th July 2019, 17:06

            @robbie Lol, indeed you are too cute.

            You can repeat it all you want, but its wrong. Just try to get outside of your tiny frame of mind.

            Again, you can simply use google to find the “verstappen rule”and what it entailed and when it was removed again.

            Of course I could give you a link to the relevant event notes, but at this point you are simply being a jerk and I don’t see why other than being a jerk back to you I would I waste time on you? You will just ignore it anyway and pretend you were right.

  16. Well if thats what its going to be like from now on, then bring it! They both drove fantastic

  17. that was good defense from Charles, but I just can’t get over the fact of how slow he looked compared to Max. I know it’s not he’s fault and probaly the car was a dog in race pace, but at times it seemed like the RedBull was pushing Leclerc’s car in slower corners. Just unbelieveable to see a Ferrari pushed along by a RedBull in Sliverstone, after what the winter testing looked like.

  18. A pleasure to watch these two go toe to toe. Then has-been Vettel had to come in and undo all that good graft.

  19. Obvious mind games from max, and that’s fine.

    Leclerc is done being the nice guy… that’s what I saw this weekend…

    Bravo!

    1. Yeah a few mind games to go along with the track action is just about right. CL taking the gloves off…great stuff. But he’ll still be ‘sore’ at Max, as he didn’t prevail, and was destined to lose out to Max again had it not been for the extenuating circumstances thanks the SV. It’ll be interesting to see how CL does in future clashes with Max. In the last two races it’s 2-0 Max, although CL sure can defend well at times too. Great stuff.

  20. Max complaining about late defensive moves? Wth?

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