Max Verstappen has ‘genuine’ respect for Charles Leclerc, claims Christian Horner

Verstappen and Leclerc have both won two races so far this season

Verstappen and Leclerc are battling it out for victories this season (Getty Images)

Max Verstappen has ‘genuine respect’ for F1 title rival Charles Leclerc, says Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

The two drivers have shared victories in the first four races of this season - with Ferrari’s Leclerc winning in Bahrain and Melbourne, and Verstappen securing maximum points in Saudi Arabia and Italy.

Despite the same number of race wins in 2022, Leclerc leads Verstappen by 27 points in the drivers’ standings due to the reigning world champion failing to finish in Bahrain and Australia.

But while the pair look set to face off for victories throughout 2022, Horner insists Verstappen has a good relationship with Leclerc.

Speaking to GP Fans, he said: “I think they have grown up racing each other in karting and so on, they know each other very well.

“They come from the same generation and there is a genuine respect between the two of them.”

Verstappen is just 16 days older than Leclerc, with the pair competing against one another in the same karting age groups.

The Dutchman is looking to try and secure his second successive drivers’ championship after pipping Lewis Hamilton to the title in 2021.

But Red Bull’s reliability issues at the start of the season have meant Verstappen is languishing behind his Monegasque rival heading into the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.

Ferrari also hold an 11-point lead over Red Bull in the constructor standings, despite Carlos Sainz sitting 16 points adrift of Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.