Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has expressed his astonishment at the noticeable disparity that has occasionally surfaced between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez within the Red Bull team throughout this season.
The Mexican driver and Dutch counterpart had evenly shared the race victories between them in the initial four races of the ongoing season.
Sergio Perez’s woes began with a loss to Max Verstappen in Miami. Facing difficulties in managing his RB19 during practice sessions and experiencing a series of Q1 exits, Perez found himself trailing Verstappen by a considerable 125-point margin after subsequent races.
Perez’s aspiration to contend with his impeccable teammate has ultimately dissipated. He recently acknowledged a shift in his focus, aiming to secure the second position in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
Leclerc acknowledges Verstappen’s remarkable performance, however, the discernible margin separating him from Perez has occasionally caught him off guard, despite not having access to the supporting data.
During an interview with Motorsport.com(Italian edition), the Monegasque openly acknowledged: “I think Max is a great driver, but at the same time there are many who cannot explain such a wide margin between him and Checo.”
“Personally I think it is impossible to read the situation well from the outside, only inside the team do they know exactly everything.
“At times the margin between Max and Checo was greater than I would have expected, but on the other hand Verstappen is an incredible driver and it is probably very difficult to be alongside him.
“But again, I don’t have the full picture of the situation.”
