Helmut Marko completely changes tune on Charles Leclerc months after ‘wonder boy’ comment | F1 | Sport
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko appears to have completely changed his tune about Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc after he claimed the 24-year-old was “not the wonder boy that many thought he was” before the season had got underway. Marko’s latest comments about Leclerc suggest he now sees the Monegasque as Max Verstappen’s biggest rival.
F1 cars were redesigned ahead of the new season after a whole host of regulation changes were implemented over the winter. Ferrari appear to have found a winning formula with their car and Leclerc has taken full advantage by illustrating his prodigious talents at the first two Grands Prix of the season.
Leclerc stormed to victory at the opening race in Bahrain before agonisingly missing out on a second triumph last time out as Verstappen claimed first place in Saudi Arabia by the finest of margins. Those performances have put Leclerc at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings and suggest he is well ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz, despite finishing behind the Spaniard in last year’s pecking order.
And Marko believes Leclerc is now Ferrari’s No 1 and will be a huge threat to Verstappen as the Dutchman looks to claim his second title. “Last year Sainz beat Leclerc, but this year Leclerc is in top form,” Marko said. “That means we can’t expect any support from Sainz. So it will be a situation like ours, where there is a very clear number one driver.
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“Carlos is a very good driver – that he left Red Bull was not because of his performance,” Marko said ahead of the new season. “In any case, he has shown that Leclerc is probably not the wonder boy that many thought he was.”
Marko’s disparaging words may have had an impact on Leclerc. And the Ferrari star could well be using them to give him extra motivation this year.
The F1 action takes a break this weekend before racing resumes in Australia next weekend. And Leclerc and Verstappen could be bracing themselves for another wheel-to-wheel contest.
