Ex-F1 driver snubs Max Verstappen, names ‘Charles Leclerc as the fastest’ over single-lap pace

Charles Leclerc has been competing in F1 since the 2018 season of the sport.

Ex-F1 driver snubs Max Verstappen, names ‘Charles Leclerc as the fastest’ over single-lap pace

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari F1 driver, is considered one of the best on the current grid. He is seen by many in the same light as that of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, and while the 2024 season is just around the corner, ex-F1 driver turned pundit, Karun Chandhok, has claimed that Leclerc is fastest over one lap pace.

Charles Leclerc has a well-known reputation for being extremely quick during qualifying sessions. He proved this last year as well when he was able to get the better of Max Verstappen despite not having the best machinery underneath him.

YouTube video

Karun Chandhok rates the Monegasque very highly and while talking about him recently on the Sky Sports F1 show, he said, as reported by Crash.Net:

FS Video
I’ve said before and people have disagreed with me, but I think Leclerc is the fastest driver over one lap in F1.

Chandhok with his short and crisp comment, has made it cystal clear that in his opinion, there is no one of the current grid who is faster than Leclerc over single lap pace. He has surprisingly put him even above the lights Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who are well-known for their ultra-fast one-lap pace.

Would Charles Leclerc be able to win his maiden F1 world championship in 2024?

While Karun Chandhok has claimed that Charles Leclerc if the fastest when it comes to single lap pace, the latter is yet to win his maiden F1 world championship. However, it has been mainly down to the fact that Ferrari has so far not managed to deliver a Championship-worthy car.

Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

But, considering that it has been two-years under the current set of F1 regulations, there could arise a possibility this year where Ferrari’s SF-24 is able to match the might of Red Bull’s 2024 car. Fred Vasseur and Co. have all the resources at their disposal to make things happen.

Charles Leclerc so far in his career has managed five grand prix wins with 23 pole positions, but going into the upcoming season, the hopes are high among the Leclerc faithful. The Maranello-based team is slated to launch its car on the 13th of February.

In case you missed it: