Verstappen vs Leclerc at the start of the Singapore GP
James Sutton/LAT Images
Recall that split-second moment at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix where Charles Leclerc has made a better start off the grid than Max Verstappen and is on the inside and slightly ahead into Turn 1? That would’ve been a position won for Leclerc in the normal course of things. But this wasn’t quite a normal situation.
There are several factors feeding into how Verstappen won that corner, which was the foundation to his victory. Some of them are physical – Verstappen pinned his rival in tight and stayed there, denying Leclerc a sightline through to clear air, wedged between the Red Bull and the kerb. Then there were the obscured braking board references from Leclerc’s tight angle in contrast to the easier visibility from Verstappen’s outside line. All of which had an influence on Leclerc surrendering the corner.
But there were other, more intangible factors at play too. It’s not simply to do with Verstappen’s no-compromise reputation and his willingness to have contact rather than yield. We have many times seen Leclerc fight Verstappen on those no-holds-barred terms. Just think back to several 2022 races, notably Silverstone, where Leclerc emerged ahead after a sometimes-brutal series of moves.
It’s more about their respective bigger picture situations as they each head for that Singapore first turn. Verstappen, the absolute leader of his team, has the power dynamic massively in his favour, with no championship contest to worry about and just enjoying the newfound speed of his car. Having driven a difficult, uncooperative machine all season, it’s suddenly come good since Baku – and now he can just race for the sheer joy of winning, points be damned.
Ferrari’s internal tensions simmering, every on-track decision matters more than usual
The recent contract extension just as the team seems to have re-found its direction, makes everything in his racing garden very rosy indeed. If Leclerc doesn’t yield and they touch, so what? They’ll collide, he’ll climb out, say it was a racing incident and get back on with his life without a backwards glance, looking forward to the remaining races in his super-fast RB22. No one at Red Bull will be holding him to account, knowing that he brings so much to the team.
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Things are rather more complicated for Leclerc at the moment. The political situation at Ferrari is very delicate between team boss Frederic Vasseur and senior management, with constant rumours swirling around about him being replaced, something that Leclerc would not welcome.
Further, the competitive niggle between Leclerc and team-mate Lewis Hamilton has already played its part in one big Leclerc crash (at Monza) and every time there is a controversy over an on-track incident or a strategy call, it amplifies the political volatility of the team. It feels like any one single incident could be the trigger for ructions within the team, which could have profound consequences for all.
So with a carefree Max Verstappen inches away and leaning hard on you, do you feel inclined to adopt the ‘yield or we crash, Max’ approach? The idea of walking back from a crashed car to the pits to face the cameras, his team and Vasseur in particular, probably while Hamilton inherits a straightforward victory… For Leclerc, it would be just too horrific for words. So he eases the gas slightly, allows the Red Bull to blend in ahead of him.
What’s happening off track so often determines on-track outcomes.
