Piero Ferrari can only be complimentary about the level that Max Verstappen shows. Ferrari believes that the Dutchman is performing at the top of his abilities. Although he is also pleased with the talent of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, the son of the legendary Enzo Ferrari thinks in conversation with Autosprint that the Monegask is not yet at the same level as the reigning world champion.
Piero Ferrari, who owns more than ten percent of the Ferrari group, is also active within the company as vice-chairman. The 77-year-old Italian admits honestly that Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc cannot yet match his peer Verstappen. Already rivals in karting in their younger years, Leclerc and Verstappen became title contenders at the top level of motorsport for the first time last year before the combination between Verstappen and Red Bull proved too strong in the second half of the season.
Verstappen at the peak of his career
The son of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari also sees that the reigning world champion is a unique talent: ‘He is incredibly fast. He was already driving in Formula 1 when he didn’t even have a driver’s license. I was there when he took his first win in Barcelona. He has also made his mistakes afterwards, and experienced accidents. Now he is still young, but he already has a lot of experience. He is a great driver who is at the peak of his career,” said Ferrari.
Although Leclerc is only a few weeks younger than his Dutch competitor, the Monegask only made his debut in Formula 1 in 2018, three years later than Verstappen. ‘Charles (Leclerc, ed.) does have the necessary speed to match Verstappen. However, he has less experience if you look at the number of Grand Prix participations. Leclerc can still grow, he will still grow,” said Ferrari about the 25-year-old driver who started his fifth season for the Scuderia this year. Ferrari also has a few words to say about teammate Carlos Sainz: ‘Bravo! I think we haven’t seen his full potential yet, we’re waiting for that.’
