Formula 1: Max Verstappen vs. Charles Leclerc; who becomes world champion first?

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are two 21-year-olds who are absolutely loaded with potential. Who will become a Formula 1 world champion first?

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc have taken Formula 1 by storm as its two most prominent rising superstars, with Verstappen doing so over the last few seasons and Leclerc finally officially doing so over the last few weeks.

Verstappen earned five victories by an age at which no other driver in Formula 1 history had even earned one, and Leclerc became the first driver to secure the first two victories of his career in back-to-back races since Lewis Hamilton pulled it off in the 2007 season.

Both drivers are 21 years old, both drivers drive for two of Formula 1’s top teams, and both are loaded with potential.

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Both are also here for one reason: to become Formula 1 world champion.

They’re both capable of doing it, and it doesn’t take too much imagination to envision both as world champions, perhaps even multiple times over.

But who will become world champion first?

The rivalry between Verstappen and Leclerc was tipped to commence in the 2019 season even before the 2018 season ended.

Verstappen already had a contract to drive for Red Bull Racing while Leclerc was confirmed at Ferrari to replace Kimi Raikkonen, who now drives for Alfa Romeo Racing.

Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull Racing runs through the 2020 season while Leclerc’s is believed to run through the 2022 season, as it was reported as at least a four-year contract when he signed it ahead of the 2019 season.

Red Bull Racing have made big strides in their first season with Honda after ending their 12-year partnership with Renault, but they still aren’t at a championship level, even in what has been a season of resurgence for the Japanese manufacturer.

Ferrari, just as they have in recent years, still trail only Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in the constructor standings, and this really just boils down to blown opportunity after blown opportunity.

With Hamilton under contract to return to Mercedes next year, he will be the odds-on favorite to win the championship once again; he is well on his way to winning his sixth title this year, and he is in position to tie Michael Schumacher’s record with his seventh in 2020.

But after 2020, things will get interesting. Major new regulations are set to be rolled out ahead of the 2021 season, which could shake the grid up a bit as it pertains to the competitiveness of each team. This could, in turn, shake up the driver lineup.

As it pertains to race to the first championship between Verstappen and Leclerc, the 2021 season will place a spotlight on Verstappen.

Regardless of how well Red Bull Racing perform in the 2020 season, Verstappen should end up with a championship-caliber team in the 2021 season. It is clear that 2020 season is their target season of becoming a true title threat with Honda.

If they can accomplish that or at least come close, he should sign a contract extension. If they can’t improve or can only improve slightly on what they’ve accomplished this season, he will be free to leave the team and sign elsewhere, as his contract will be up and he will not have to rely on any particularly clauses in it to move on.

So who will become world champion first, assuming both drive for championship caliber teams from 2021?

Verstappen has the edge as it pertains to experience and experience winning races. But now that Leclerc has the monkey off of his back, he could very well reel in Verstappen’s win total even before the 2021 season rolls around.

If Red Bull Racing are a championship caliber team in the 2021 season and Verstappen re-signs, he should become world champion first. He would be driving for a familiar team with which he has had a ton of previous success and has managed to get the most out of his car on a regular basis.

But if they aren’t, Verstappen will likely end up elsewhere, and that could be good news for Leclerc, even if they end up as teammates, a possibility that is not as far-fetched as it seems.

He will have been driving for Ferrari for several seasons while Verstappen would be adjusting to a new team — Ferrari or elsewhere — and if he can keep on winning, he would be in an optimal position to beat Verstappen to that elusive first title.

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Will Max Verstappen win his first Formula 1 world championship before Charles Leclerc wins his first, or will the Monegasque become world champion before the Dutchman? Neither one is going to win the 2019 title and the 2020 title may be quite a challenge to secure as well, but it’s anybody’s guess as to who will get the job done in 2021 and/or beyond.

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