'Leclerc might be driving as well as Verstappen at this point'

Favourite at Silverstone

Verstappen leads the world championship after nine races, but Leclerc is doing everything he can to make it a real battle. The Monegasque started the season so strongly with two wins from the first three races, but has since been hit by two crashes and a strategic blunder by Ferrari in Monaco.

''Charles Leclerc is probably driving as well as Max at the moment, but he's retired from the lead twice through no fault of his own, and he had to start from the back at Canada,'' Croft says of Sky Sports.

Verstappen versus Leclerc

''What Max has done very well is make the most of the opportunities that have come his way. He's driving extremely well and you can't fault him. He's retired twice himself, and those weren't his fault either.''

The Sky Sports commentator therefore believes that the Red Bull Racing and Ferrari drivers are on an equal level this year. ''I do think they're fairly even, Max and Charles. I don't think one or the other is driving that much better than the other. They're the two form horses for this weekend, no doubt'', Croft concludes.