Max Verstappen vs Charles Leclerc: The gripping story and swinging momentum of F1’s new title duel

New automobiles. New driver line-ups. And a brand new title battle. Formula 1 2022 has delivered thrills and drama aplenty, with its championship protagonists Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc hardly ever far aside on monitor.

In a gripping follow-up to the controversy of Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton final 12 months, we check out the story of the season up to now, the swinging momentum and simply how the world champion heads into the Belgian GP with an surprising mammoth title lead.

The Belgian GP is all reside on Sky Sports F1 this weekend, with Sunday’s race at 2pm.

Bahrain: Leclerc lands first blow

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Anthony Davidson analyses the battles between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc down the years after the Red Bull and Ferrari driver went face to face on the Bahrain GP

Ferrari, off the tempo in 2020 and ’21 however filled with optimism for the brand new season after the sweeping rule adjustments, greater than made their mark within the opener – and in Leclerc they regarded to have a really credible title contender.

Leclerc claimed pole and engaged in sensible wheel-to-wheel battles with Verstappen over three straight laps early on, being out-braked by Red Bull into the primary nook however then hitting again instantly into Turn 4 through DRS. Leclerc then pulled away from Verstappen, earlier than an utter implosion from Red Bull.

Both Verstappen and Sergio Perez have been compelled into retirements late on with reliability points, leaving Red Bull point-less and Ferrari with a gap one-two. Round One, subsequently, was very a lot to Leclerc.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 0-26 LECLERC

Saudi Arabia: Verstappen hits again

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Max Verstappen lastly managed to cross Charles Leclerc with simply three laps remaining within the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Another race within the Middle East, one other gripping battle between Verstappen and Leclerc, this time received by the defending champion.

Perez began on pole however the race shortly was a Verstappen-Leclerc shootout, with the Red Bull a lot quicker on the straights and the Ferrari automobile speedier by means of Jeddah’s twisty opening sector.

After being handed by Verstappen however then re-overtaking him instantly, Leclerc regarded to have performed sufficient earlier than the Red Bull got here charging with three laps remaining, finally successful by simply 0.5seconds.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 25-45 LECLERC

Australia: Max defence stutters with one other DNF

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Max Verstappen retires after engine points causes him to drag off the monitor on the Australian GP

Leclerc regarded very a lot the title favorite after the third race in Melbourne, having claimed an totally dominant win whereas Verstappen suffered one other DNF.

Pole-sitter Leclerc saved Verstappen at bay off the road after which after two Safety Car restarts earlier than dashing into the space, though the Red Bull did nonetheless look set to take a comfort second.

But on Lap 39 got here an engine fireplace for Verstappen and one other point-less afternoon, with Red Bull’s reliability very a lot a priority.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 25-71 LECLERC

Imola: First chink in Leclerc’s armour

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Charles Leclerc was compelled to pit after hitting the limitations within the closing levels of the Emilia-Romagna GP

The Emilia-Romagna GP weekend offered wheel-to-wheel battles between the title protagonists on each the Saturday and the Sunday because the Sprint debuted for 2022 – and each races have been received by Verstappen.

The Red Bull appeared a quicker automobile in Imola and Verstappen took pole, and whereas he was overtaken at the beginning of the Sprint he made his tempo rely later within the mini race. Verstappen was largely untroubled on Sunday and Leclerc, making an attempt to chase Perez for third place, made his first huge mistake of the season by spinning off in damp situations.

Leclerc would drop again to sixth, whereas Verstappen loved the proper weekend.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 59-86 LECLERC

Miami: Verstappen victorious on glitzy debut

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Max Verstappen is now main the Miami GP with a pleasant manoeuvre on Charles Leclerc

A sample for the season appeared to be rising, with Ferrari seemingly faster over one lap however the Red Bull excelling within the race. That was certainly the case for Miami’s F1 debut, the place Leclerc began on pole and Verstappen solely third, however the Dutchman nonetheless got here out on high.

Verstappen made his transfer instantly by passing Perez at the beginning and it solely took 9 laps for him to cross Leclerc with a late lunge into the primary nook. Leclerc put up a combat after the Lando Norris crash-triggered Safety Car, however Verstappen had sufficient straight-line velocity to face up to it.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 85-104 LECLERC

Spain: Ferrari endure first reliability woe

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Charles Leclerc was compelled to retire from the race lead in Spain after dropping energy in his Ferrari

Everything was going swimmingly for Leclerc in Spain. He had pole place and saved it at the beginning, whereas Verstappen then dropped again after an uncharacteristic unenforced spin.

But then Lap 27 occurred. Looking like he was going to increase his title lead, Leclerc suffered an engine failure in his Ferrari and had his first DNF failure of the season.

Verstappen capitalised after going onto a unique tyre technique than his team-mate, and Red Bull then instructed Perez to let a a lot quicker Max by means of late on for the win, and the title lead.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 110-104 LECLERC

Monaco: Leclerc loses floor after Ferrari blunder

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The better of the motion from the Monaco Grand Prix

For the primary time this season, a driver aside from Verstappen or Leclerc received the race. Verstappen although, was nonetheless the last word winner on this title duel given Leclerc’s missed likelihood.

Leclerc began on pole earlier than a deluge delayed the race, and the Monegasque house favorite was then undercut by Sergio Perez onto intermediates early on. To worsen his woes and his temper, a sluggish pit-stop from Ferrari adopted and he dropped again to fourth behind Verstappen.

Perez held onto win forward of Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz and Verstappen, who unexpectedly prolonged his title lead.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 125-116 LECLERC

Azerbaijan: Another DNF leaves Leclerc quest in tatters

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Charles Leclerc is out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after struggling engine failure on the twentieth lap in Baku

Yet extra distress for Leclerc, who once more noticed a pole place flip into zero factors.

Leclerc appeared to be in with a victory likelihood in Baku and, whereas on a extra adventurous tyre technique to Red Bull, was main on Lap 21, earlier than his engine went bang and he needed to retire from the race. Spain another time.

Verstappen solely began third however handed Perez after an early Safety Car and went on to say a dominant win, along with his championship lead now relatively ominous, whereas Leclerc dropped behind Perez within the standings.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 150-116 LECLERC

Canada: Verstappen capitalises on Leclerc’s penalty

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Max Verstappen extends his lead on the high of the drivers’ standing after resisting late strain from Carlos Sainz to win the Canadian Grand Prix

Leclerc’s DNFs weren’t simply expensive for the Spanish and Azerbaijan GPs, for a brand new engine was required for the Canadian GP – the place he took a heavy penalty and needed to begin from the again of the grid.

Leclerc fought again admirably to fifth however Verstappen capitalised on his rival’s absence from the entrance with one other win, holding off Sainz within the closing levels.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 175-126 LECLERC

Britain: Verstappen struggles, Leclerc misses likelihood

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Max Verstappen needed to pull into the pitlane after struggling a problem along with his Red Bull because the Dutchman relinquished the lead of the race to Carlos Sainz

It was a dramatic weekend at Silverstone and Verstappen and Leclerc each had less-than-ideal weekends.

For Verstappen, he regarded the early favorite after overtaking Sainz with DRS however then had big automobile points after getting particles caught in his automobile, leading to an undesirable pit-stop and costing him seconds per lap. That dropped him out of the working and he finally salvaged seventh.

Leclerc regarded set to make the most of Verstappen’s difficulties and was main earlier than a Safety Car, and Ferrari bizarrely determined to go away him out on monitor regardless of many of the discipline, together with Sainz, pitting for recent tyres.

Leclerc was in the end a sitting duck and needed to accept fourth, however it might, and may, have been so significantly better.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 181-136 LECLERC

Austria: Leclerc overtakes Max 3 times for very important win