Miami Grand Prix continues Formula 1 rivalry between LeClerc and Verstappen

MIAMI GARDENS — The 10-year old video has been viewed nearly 2 million times. Two mop-haired teenagers leaving the go-kart track after tangling during a rainy 2012 WSK Euro Series race in Europe.

One of the young racers is Dutch driver Max Verstappen, who rather angrily tells the camera in the video, “He’s just unfair. I’m leading, he wants to pass, he pushes me and I push him back and he pushes me off the track. It’s not fair.’’

The other young driver in the video – the object of Verstappen’s unhappiness - is Monaco’s Charles LeClerc, who simply responds, “It was nothing, just an incident.’’

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Reminded of the video this week as they prepare for Sunday’s maiden Miami Grand Prix, they both smile and report: all is well.

The 2022 Formula 1 championship may come down to these two talented drivers who have been going wheel-to-wheel for a decade. Ferrari’s LeClerc currently leads the reigning world champion, Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen, by 27 points in the championship. Each has won two of the four races this season.

“In karting we had a lot of conflicts, really a lot’’ LeClerc recalled Friday, trackside in Miami during the drivers’ round of formal press conferences. “Obviously [in the video], we had been racing together four or five years and every race we would be fighting for wins and obviously loads of things happened in karting. We were all so young, crazy and we hated each other at that moment.

“But now we grew up,’’ LeClerc continued. “And the experiences are more and obviously we both have also realized our dreams to be fighting for the Formula 1 [title]. The relationship has changed since then. Now we both look back to those years with a smile on our face. This video is viral. I have seen it so many times now on social media, but yeah, it was very good years.’’

LeClerc, Verstappen came up through teams' prestigious junior programs

And a harbinger of even better years to come. Both came up through their teams’ prestigious junior racing programs and now are literally wheel-to-wheel, turn-by-turn set to decide the 2022 world championship.

LeClerc led Friday’s opening practice around the 19-turn 3.363-miile Miami International Autodrome circuit constructed on the Hard Rock Stadium grounds. While several cars had tenuous times turning their first ever laps on the track, the session ended much as the championship has gone.

LeClerc’s fast lap of 1:31.09 was .071-second faster than Mercedes AMG Petronas driver George Russell with Verstappen third quickest in the Oracle Red Bull Racing Honda.

LeClerc and Verstappen. Verstappen and LeClerc. That’s how 2022 has gone to date.

That kind of fierce competition – from the opening laps of an F1 weekend to the final checkered flag - extends a long, exciting history between the two 24-year old talents.

“It’s nice and it almost feels like back in the day, go-karting,’’ Verstappen said. “We just have more experience and I think in general it makes the sport even better. It’s good to see the young guys are moving up into the top teams and all fighting for wins. Of course, it’s a natural process but I really enjoy it.”

Last year, while LeClerc suffered through an uncharacteristically lackluster Ferrari campaign, Verstappen won his first world championship in dramatic form.

Verstappen, Hamilton tied going into final 2021 race

Verstappen entered the last race of the 2021 season at Abu Dhabi tied in the standings with seven-time champion, Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton – the season title coming down to that one race.

Hamilton was leading the race and seemingly en route to a record eighth title only to be passed by Verstappen on a final lap race restart after Verstappen was allowed to re-start immediately behind Hamilton. The Mercedes team protested the finish because some cars were waved around for the restart order while others were not. But F1 held that Verstappen had won, the title was his.

This season, Hamilton’s Mercedes team has not been a real factor in the race wins – leaving the early race slate to a battle between these young, old rivals.

“I think the challenge is good for the sport,’’ Verstappen said. “A team like Ferrari with a lot of history in the sport is back up front and I think it’s really nice to see that.

“From my side, of course I have known Charles for a really long time. We really grew up through racing and it’s been really good battles, we’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve said it before, I just hope for the rest of the season we can continue what we’ve been doing so far.

“For me winning a championship doesn’t really change that in terms of battling. I still want to of course win and try to be ahead. But you also need to be realistic at times if that’s possible or not when you go into a battle.”

And LeClerc couldn’t agree more.

“It’s really cool. I like to fight with Max," he said. "It’s always on the limit and I really enjoy it for now. I hope it can stay like this for the rest of the season and hopefully we’ll be also to improve the car throughout the season and stay with them to fight for the championship.”

Notes: Mercedes driver George Russell was fastest in Friday's second practice with a lap of 1:29.938 around the 3.363-mile circuit - .106-second faster than Ferrari's LeClerc. The top 11 drivers in the evening session turned in faster laps than LeClerc's fast time in the opening practice.

Qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix is 4 p.m. on Saturday. The 57-lap grand prix starts Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Grand Prix F1 rivalry between Charles LeClerc, Max Verstappen