Leclerc backs Verstappen for "aggressive" driving: "I welcome that"

Charles Leclerc has expressed support for Max Verstappen's "aggressive" actions towards Lando Norris during the Mexican Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver sees it as a chance to make ground on Norris in the Drivers' World Championship.

Ferrari are making a surge in the Constructors' Championship, but the man from Monaco wants to finish as high as possible in the Drivers' Championship as well. Leclerc currently has a 24 point gap to Norris as they battle for second place over the remaining four events.

Why Leclerc welcomes Verstappen's aggressive nature

"I welcome Max being as aggressive to Lando as possible because it helps me," said Leclerc, who finished third in the Mexican Grand Prix. "At least it gives me chances to be closer to Lando in the Drivers' Championship because it's still a fight."

The Ferrari driver thinks the fight is mainly for second place. "If anything, it's more a fight, Lando and myself, than with Max who has quite a lot of advantages in points. On my side, I don't think about the Drivers' Championship, realistically. That doesn't help me achieve anything more," he continued.

"It's by focusing race by race. Of course, there's part of it that is in my control. And if I win all races, that puts most of the chances on my side. But even if I do that, I've got to have Max that has very poor weekends and I don't rely on that, so I'll just try and do the best possible end of the season, and then we'll do the math at the end of the season," Leclerc said.

In the cooldown room after the Mexico Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris watched race footage. The footage of the duel between Max Verstappen and Norris was played on the screen, and the drivers' expressions were telling.

This article has been created in collaboration with Nicole Mulder