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Lammers sees the difference: 'He doesn't play political games'

29 March 2022 at 09:29
Last update 29 March 2022 at 12:32
  • GPblog.com

Judging from the first two Grands Prix of the season, we will once again have an intense battle for the world title. This time, however, Max Verstappen will take on Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari instead of Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. Jan Lammers already sees a big difference between the two title races.

No political games

In both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia we saw fierce battles on track between Verstappen and Leclerc. Where Verstappen and Hamilton clashed last season, there was no question of that now. Also Jan Lammers tells Motorsport.com that he sees how carefully the two drivers deal with each other. According to the former Formula 1 driver the two have found a nice balance with each other.

Even after the race in Jeddah, the respect between Leclerc and Verstappen was clear. The two have been racing each other since childhood and know each other and each other's driving style well. In addition, Lammers believes that Leclerc, like Verstappen, is someone who dares to admit his mistakes. The Monegasque has no hidden agenda and does not play political games, something Hamilton sometimes had in the past. Whether this will still be the case at the end of the season when they are evenly matched in the championship remains to be seen, of course.

Ferrari has the upper hand at the moment

Although it is of course far too early for any real conclusions, Mercedes does not seem to be getting involved in the battle for the championship this season. Ferrari and Red Bull Racing are currently very evenly matched, although Lammers does see that Ferrari is currently the most in control. According to the Dutchman, the car not only looks good, but is also stable and reliable. Lammers also thinks that there is still more in the Ferrari.

Leclerc currently leads the championship ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz and Verstappen. So far, Leclerc seems to be the boss of his teammate, but Lammers certainly doesn't want to discount the Spaniard for the championship. He thinks that Sainz could become the sniper of the season by constantly scoring points and taking advantage when a duel between Verstappen and Leclerc ends in tears.