Charles Leclerc has thrown down the gauntlet to his teammate Sebastian Vettel by wishing that in 2020 the two Ferrari drivers will fight one another for the Formula 1 world title, the Monegasque also insisting that the relationship between the pair is good.
The pair had a fraught 2019 season as quadruple F1 World Champion struggled to hang onto his number one status he had enjoyed at Maranello, which culminated in the crash during the Brazilian Grand Prix, but Vettel revealed this week that he will still give Leclerc a Christmas present.
“I will write Merry Christmas on the side of the car,” Leclerc, perhaps joking about their Interlagos coming together, laughed when asked about what he will give Vettel in return.
Nevertheless, he insists there is no animosity between the pair, “Our relationship is better than what many people see. There is a great desire to win but also maturity. Seb is a great champion with a lot of experience, and facing him at Ferrari has been a great challenge and opportunity for me.”
Records show that Leclerc beat Vettel in 2019, winning two races compared to the German’s one. He also claimed seven pole positions to the German’s two and beat the 32-year-old to fourth in the drivers’ F1 championship.
The 22-year-old admitted, “I never expected a debut like this at Ferrari. It was far more positive than I expected. I knew it was a challenge but also an opportunity. I especially did not expect the seven poles.”
“Next year? I would really like to be able to fight for the title with Seb” he added at La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Gazzetta Sports Awards.