Charles Leclerc is willing to fight dirty in 2025 (Image: Getty)
The 2025 season may be ’s best chance to secure a Drivers’ Championship title, and the star is not messing around. The Monegasque racer has made it clear to his rivals – he will use the same aggressive tactics deployed by in 2024.
Verstappen’s driving standards were a constant topic of debate last season. The Dutchman showcased his ultra-aggressive tactics in 2021 against when started to turn up the heat in the title fight.
When the Brit challenged Verstappen wheel to wheel in Austria and Mexico City, he went to great lengths to stop his rival from gaining points on the racetrack. His all-out approach eventually led to Norris’ controversial penalty in Austin, and these incremental gains and acts of damage limitation ultimately helped to secure the title with two rounds to spare.
Verstappen’s approach was controversial, to say the least. The driver’s camp labelled it as brave and committed, the true sign of a champion. Others, including Norris and , took a dim view of his driving standards, with the latter berating his aggression in an instantly iconic interview in Abu Dhabi.
For Leclerc, Verstappen’s moves were understandable, and he is not afraid to replicate them in 2025. “You’ve got to pick your battles, and I feel like Max knows how to adapt to different situations, and we’ve seen it [in 2024],” the star told .
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Lando Norris will have to fight hard again in 2025 (Image: Getty)
“There were moments where he was not aggressive, but when the end of the season arrived, and Lando was coming back there, you could see him play with the rules a lot more, and I feel like I’ve got that in me.
“I know that whenever big things will be at stake, when it will be the moment to take those risks with the right people, I’ll go for it. But that’s also why I’ve always enjoyed racing with Max, the mentality of the driver is a big part.
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“We’ve known each other for a long time, and so it is always more exciting when we’re fighting together. Unfortunately [not in 2024], because at the beginning of the season, he had quite a dominant car, and we were not in the fight with him.
“He had no reason to be aggressive with us in some kinds of ways, and then we were playing catch-up. By the time we were competitive, there was Lando in-between, so he never really saw us as a direct competitor, so [in 2024], there weren’t these fights.”