41 replies to this topic

[AlphaRacer]

Leclerc vs Verstapppen at Silverstone -Was it the best battle in the last 10 years?

 

And would you agree with most comments the guy in the video makes about Leclerc having special defensive skills and that he is one of the best in wheel to wheel fighting and in defending his own ground?

 

 

I must say, I have already noticed in Formula two, that he is stunning when he fights for a position with other drivers. His overtakes were incredible in formula two.

Edited by AlphaRacer, 30 July 2019 - 15:03.

[f1paul]

Definitely not in the whole of motorsport.

 

In f1 in the less 10 years though? I would say no again. Off the top of my head, Hamilton vs. Rosberg in Bahrain was better IMO and I also really enjoyed the 2011 German GP as that was more of a race-long battle (a different kind of battle to Verstappen/Leclerc)

 

Verstappen/Leclerc at Silverstone was very, very good though - just not the best in F1 in the last 10 years.

 

Edit: Typo

Edited by f1paul, 30 July 2019 - 19:57.

[AlphaRacer]

Definitely not in the whole of motorsport.

 

In f1 in the less 10 years though? I would say no again. Off the top of my head, Hamilton vs. Rosberg in Bahrain was better IMO and I also really enjoyed the 2011 German GP as that was more of a rae-long battle (a different kind of battle to Verstappen/Leclerc)

 

Verstappen/Leclerc at Silverstone was very, very good though - just not the best in F1 in the last 10 years.

 

Hamilton vs Rosberg in Bahrain? I am not sure if I confuse it with another race, but did they crash there? Verstappen overtook all kinds of drivers easily in Silverstone (Vettel included) lol unntil Vettel crashed into him. The only driver where his attacks didn´t work was Leclerc. So he really seems to be a lot tougher when it comes to defensive skills, than most other drivers!

[f1paul]

Hamilton vs Rosberg in Bahrain? I am not sure if I confuse it with another race, but did they crash there? Verstappen overtook all kinds of drivers easily in Silverstone (Vettel included) lol unntil Vettel crashed into him. The only driver where his attacks didn´t work was Leclerc. So he really seems to be a lot tougher when it comes to defensive skills, than most other drivers!

2014, so no.

 

Edit:

 

 

Edited by f1paul, 30 July 2019 - 15:26.

[Tsarwash]

Leclerc vs Verstapppen at Silverstone -Was it the best battle in the last 10 years?

 

 

No.

[Risil]

Quick note that this thread isn't going to work if we immediately jump down the throats of people who give answers we disagree with. Please list examples and make your cases!

[Requiem84]

Even as a Verstappen fan, I really loved how powerful Leclerc's defense was.

 

It struck me that he was really strong and confident on the entry of a corner while being on the outside line. Imo his strong trick is to enter the corner faster than normal from the inside line (while Verstappen was on the inside) and thereby closing of the space for Verstappen rapidly on the outside. This forced Verstappen a few times to back out of a move, such as the move into Stowe when Verstappen actually already was passed him on the inside.

 

I think in terms of robust defenses, Leclerc put up the toughest defense by a long shot versus Verstappen.

 

Hamilton so far has been giving him too much space. Vettel has been clumsy vs Verstappen and Bottas is just Bottas. 

[JimmyTheFox]

Hamilton vs Rosberg in Bahrain? I am not sure if I confuse it with another race, but did they crash there? Verstappen overtook all kinds of drivers easily in Silverstone (Vettel included) lol unntil Vettel crashed into him. The only driver where his attacks didn´t work was Leclerc. So he really seems to be a lot tougher when it comes to defensive skills, than most other drivers!

Max was having battery deployment issues in his battle with Leclerc - it's on F1TV onboard feed, with the battery in a good charged condition he would have breezed by Leclerc like he did the other Ferrari on the straight.

[scheivlak]

It was great. Another great one was Verstappen vs Ricciardo, Malaysia 2016 - which reminded me of Vettel vs Webber 2013 at the same track....

[Spillage]

I dunno. It was good fun, but there have been lots of good ones. Vettel v Alonso at Silverstone in 2014 and Hamilton v Rosberg in Bahrain the same year spring to mind.

[Marklar]

I find those best drive/race/battle/rivalry/whatever questions always a bit difficult to answer when it's still recent, you both have a recency bias of remembering it as well of an nostalgia bias of dismissing recent events.

[mgs315]

Hamilton so far has been giving him too much space.

I’d say that’s more down to the fact Lewis is driving with the championship in mind. I’d agree with Leclerc being brilliant to watch though (along with Max of course).

[robefc]

I’d say that’s more down to the fact Lewis is driving with the championship in mind. I’d agree with Leclerc being brilliant to watch though (along with Max of course).

Agreed re: Lewis but he hung on round the outside in Bahrain last year and pushed him off in China.

[P123]

It's one of many good battles if looking over the past 10 years, but also a good appetiser for what is to come between those two in the future.

[prty]

Previously unheard declarations from the affected parties (couldn't find a more appropriate thread):

Edited by prty, 20 September 2020 - 20:33.

[sabjit]

I cant even remember it 

[ArrowsLivery]

It’s difficult to have battles post DRS, which makes this a tough question. There have been very, very few real on track battles. I think Hamilton/Rosberg at Bahrain was the best, especially because of the circumstances around the race.

[FrontWing]

No.

[Atreiu]

I liked the last laps at Silverstone 2018 more with the top 4 battling each other.

[PlayboyRacer]

It's one of many good battles if looking over the past 10 years, but also a good appetiser for what is to come between those two in the future.

This. It was the start of what's to come. The Silverstone race was a great battle, two young chargers locking horns. This future rivalry will get tasty.

Don't forget how Austria 2019 ended.

[Anuity]

The best thing about Leclerc vs Verstappen was that it lasted for quite sometime, so the tension was up throughout great part of the race.

To be honest the only other ones that spring to my mind immediately are:

- Rosberg - Hamilton in 2014
- Vettel - Alonso in 2014
- Alonso - Hamilton in 2017
- Kimi - Hamilton in 2018

In terms of racing all these for me are the same quality.

But Verstappen-Leclerc wins it for me because of the relative length of the battle they had during the race. It’s not that common.

Surely they must have been more nice battles, just can’t remember right away. Probably need to look up somewhere down the grid.

One of my personal favorites is Alonso - Raikkonen in Brazil 2014. Very nice battle. But then again, I consider those two the to be the cleanest and fairest drivers from the last 10 years.

[Risil]

I loved it. Rosberg and Hamilton at Bahrain in 2014 was good too.

 

And then at the other end of the spectrum there's Hamilton and Massa in 2011, which must've been good because I still remember it 9 years later.

[PlatenGlass]

Hamilton/Rosberg at Bahrain would be the one that springs to mind as others have said, and it was for the lead as well so bonus points!

 

As for Leclerc's defensive skills in general, let's not forget that he was a bit clumsy at Monza against Hamilton and was lucky not to be penalised for basically pushing him off.

[shure]

Hamilton/Rosberg at Bahrain would be the one that springs to mind as others have said, and it was for the lead as well so bonus points!

 

As for Leclerc's defensive skills in general, let's not forget that he was a bit clumsy at Monza against Hamilton and was lucky not to be penalised for basically pushing him off.

Lewis basically played bumper cars with three different cars on his charge back to the front at the German Grand Prix in 2014.  And he was a lot more experienced then than Leclerc is now.  I think Leclerc has plenty of room to grow

[Risil]

As for Leclerc's defensive skills in general, let's not forget that he was a bit clumsy at Monza against Hamilton and was lucky not to be penalised for basically pushing him off.

 

Probs not the right place, but Leclerc is a young and ruthless guy and I'm sure he was testing the limits after F1 publicly put a leash on the stewards after some controversial decisions midseason.

[Myrvold]

Probs not the right place, but Leclerc is a young and ruthless guy and I'm sure he was testing the limits after F1 publicly put a leash on the stewards after some controversial decisions midseason.

 

Yup, at least in F1, you could see a change in the way Leclerc drove against others pre and post Austria.

[MikeTekRacing]

Leclerc changed after the ruling in Austria last year. And I think he changed for the worst, he's done some borderline ugly moves afterwards.

 

Fair play to him, they sent him in Austria a clear message of what's allowed - and he responded to that. 

[Beri]

Verstappen vs Ricciardo at Sepang. 2016 if I'm not mistaken.

[NixxxoN]

2014, so no.

 

Edit:

 

 

This is not on the same level of Leclerc vs Max I think. So much DRS importance in this merc battle.

 

The only one I can think of which is as good, is Alonso vs Vettel also in Silverstone, 2014, that was brutal defending from Alonso, just like Leclerc did to Max.
 

Edited by NixxxoN, 21 September 2020 - 20:10.

[Astandahl]

One of the best for sure. Fantastic car positioning from both Max and Leclerc.

 

Also this move is still incredible in my opinion

 

Edited by Astandahl, 21 September 2020 - 23:26.

[PlayboyRacer]

As for Leclerc's defensive skills in general, let's not forget that he was a bit clumsy at Monza against Hamilton and was lucky not to be penalised for basically pushing him off.

Clumsy? That's putting a hell of a spin on it.

He got his elbows out and sharpened them after getting unfairly screwed in Austria when he did play fair and clean.

[MasterOfCoin]

This is not on the same level of Leclerc vs Max I think. So much DRS importance in this merc battle.

 

The only one I can think of which is as good, is Alonso vs Vettel also in Silverstone, 2014, that was brutal defending from Alonso, just like Leclerc did to Max.
 

How do you suppose Leclerc and Max were together for so long.......If not for DRS?......

[davidlan]

eh!!

 

Nope not ever close

 

Dave

[NixxxoN]

How do you suppose Leclerc and Max were together for so long.......If not for DRS?......

Max was in the quicker car in corners, not so much reliance there

[PlatenGlass]

Clumsy? That's putting a hell of a spin on it.

He got his elbows out and sharpened them after getting unfairly screwed in Austria when he did play fair and clean.

I wouldn't call it spin. The alternative is that he deliberately forced Hamilton to take the escape road. I'm not sure that looks better for him.

[PayasYouRace]

No.

 

 

No.

 

 

eh!!

 

Nope not ever close

 

Dave

 

So which battles were better?

[PlayboyRacer]

I wouldn't call it spin. The alternative is that he deliberately forced Hamilton to take the escape road. I'm not sure that looks better for him.

Might not look better but he won the race. Which playing fair in Austria cost him.

Don't blame Charles. Blame the stewards for their inconsistent, "clumsy" application of the rule book.

[Beri]

So which battles were better?

 

In the past 10 years? Not many Id think. Yet I liked the Ricciardo vs Verstappen one in Malaysia 2016 also. But that didnt last as long as this one.

Edited by Beri, 22 September 2020 - 13:18.

[Requiem84]

Baku '18.

[MasterOfCoin]

Max was in the quicker car in corners, not so much reliance there

But it's still the prerogative of the faster car, is it not.....just as in the Ros/Ham battle....

[NixxxoN]

But it's still the prerogative of the faster car, is it not.....just as in the Ros/Ham battle....

Ham/Ros were just getting together and passing each other mostly due to straight and DRS, while Leclerc and Max were attacking each other all over the place in so many places, I dont think its quite the same and I dont think Ham/Ros battle was as intense and tough

Edited by NixxxoN, 22 September 2020 - 12:00.

[JeePee]

Almost. They both exceeded track limits at the final corner and thus were helped with tons of tarmac runoff. That's a -1 for me.