Max Verstappen vs Charles Leclerc: How Formula 1’s new-for-2022 title fight was ultimately dominated

It started with a Charles Leclerc lead, and ended with Max Verstappen records; this is the story of Formula 1 2022’s new championship fight and how it was ultimately dominated by the Red Bull driver…

Bahrain: Leclerc lands first blow

Ferrari, off the pace in 2020 and ’21 but full of optimism for the new season after the sweeping rule changes, more than made their mark in the opener – and in Leclerc they looked to have a very credible title contender.

Leclerc claimed pole and engaged in brilliant wheel-to-wheel battles with Verstappen over three straight laps early on, being out-braked by Red Bull into the first corner but then hitting back immediately into Turn 4 via DRS. Leclerc then pulled away from Verstappen, before an utter implosion from Red Bull.

Both Verstappen and Sergio Perez were forced into retirements late on with reliability issues, leaving Red Bull point-less and Ferrari with an opening one-two. Round One, therefore, went very much to Leclerc.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 0-26 LECLERC

Saudi Arabia: Verstappen hits back

Another race in the Middle East, another gripping battle between Verstappen and Leclerc, this time won by the defending champion.

Perez started on pole but the race quickly turned into a Verstappen-Leclerc shootout, with the Red Bull much faster on the straights and the Ferrari car speedier through Jeddah’s twisty opening sector.

After being passed by Verstappen but then re-overtaking him immediately, Leclerc looked to have done enough before the Red Bull came charging with three laps remaining, eventually winning by just 0.5 seconds.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 25-45 LECLERC

Australia: Max’s defence wobbles with another DNF

Leclerc looked very much the title favourite after the third race in Melbourne, having claimed an utterly dominant win while Verstappen suffered another DNF.

Pole-sitter Leclerc kept Verstappen at bay off the line and then after two Safety Car restarts before speeding into the distance, although the Red Bull did still look set to take a consolation second.

But on Lap 39 came an engine fire for Verstappen and another point-less afternoon, with Red Bull’s reliability very much a concern.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 25-71 LECLERC

Imola: First chink in Leclerc’s armour

The Emilia-Romagna GP weekend provided wheel-to-wheel battles between the title protagonists on both the Saturday and the Sunday as the Sprint debuted for 2022 – and both races were won by Verstappen.

The Red Bull appeared a faster car in Imola and Verstappen took pole, and while he was overtaken at the start of the Sprint he made his pace count later in the mini race. Verstappen was largely untroubled on Sunday and Leclerc, trying to chase Perez for third place, made his first big mistake of the season by spinning off in damp conditions.

Leclerc would drop back to sixth, while Verstappen enjoyed the perfect weekend.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 59-86 LECLERC

Miami: Verstappen victorious on glitzy debut

A pattern for the season seemed to be emerging, with Ferrari seemingly quicker over one lap but the Red Bull excelling in the race. That was indeed the case for Miami’s F1 debut, where Leclerc started on pole and Verstappen only third, but the Dutchman still came out on top.

Verstappen made his move immediately by passing Perez at the start and it only took nine laps for him to pass Leclerc with a late lunge into the first corner. Leclerc put up a fight after the Lando Norris crash-triggered Safety Car, but Verstappen had enough straight-line speed to withstand it.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 85-104 LECLERC

Spain: Ferrari suffer first reliability woe

Everything was going swimmingly for Leclerc in Spain. He had pole position and kept it at the start, while Verstappen then dropped back after an uncharacteristic unenforced spin.

But then Lap 27 happened. Looking like he was going to extend his title lead, Leclerc suffered an engine failure in his Ferrari and had his first DNF failure of the season.

Verstappen capitalised after going onto a different tyre strategy than his team-mate, and Red Bull then instructed Perez to let a much faster Max through late on for the win, and the title lead.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 110-104 LECLERC

Monaco: Leclerc loses ground after Ferrari blunder

For the first time this season, a driver other than Verstappen or Leclerc won the race. Verstappen though, was still the ultimate winner in this title duel given Leclerc’s missed chance.

Leclerc started on pole before a deluge delayed the race, and the Monegasque home favourite was then undercut by Sergio Perez onto intermediates early on. To worsen his woes and his mood, a slow pit-stop from Ferrari followed and he dropped back to fourth behind Verstappen.

Perez held on to win ahead of Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz and Verstappen, who unexpectedly extended his title lead.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 125-116 LECLERC

Azerbaijan: Another DNF leaves Leclerc quest in tatters

Yet more misery for Leclerc, who again saw a pole position turn into zero points.

Leclerc looked to be in with a victory chance in Baku and, while on a more adventurous tyre strategy to Red Bull, was leading on Lap 21, before his engine went bang and he had to retire from the race. Spain all over again.

Verstappen only started third but passed Perez after an early Safety Car and went on to claim a dominant win, with his championship lead now rather ominous, while Leclerc dropped behind Perez in the standings.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 150-116 LECLERC

Canada: Verstappen capitalises on Leclerc’s penalty

Leclerc’s DNFs were not just costly for the Spanish and Azerbaijan GPs, for a new engine was required for the Canadian GP – where he took a heavy penalty and had to start from the back of the grid.

Leclerc fought back admirably to fifth but Verstappen capitalised on his rival’s absence from the front with another win, holding off Sainz in the closing stages.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 175-126 LECLERC

Britain: Verstappen struggles, Leclerc misses chance

It was a dramatic weekend at Silverstone and Verstappen and Leclerc both had less-than-ideal weekends.

For Verstappen, he looked the early favourite after overtaking Sainz with DRS but then had huge car issues after getting debris stuck in his car, resulting in an unwanted pit-stop and costing him seconds per lap. That dropped him out of the running and he eventually salvaged seventh.

Leclerc looked set to take advantage of Verstappen’s difficulties and was leading before a Safety Car, and Ferrari bizarrely decided to leave him out on track despite most of the field, including Sainz, pitting for fresh tyres.

Leclerc was ultimately a sitting duck and had to settle for fourth, but it could, and should, have been so much better.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 181-136 LECLERC

Austria: Leclerc overtakes Max three times for vital win

After a difficult run, Leclerc hit back at Red Bull’s home race.

While Verstappen took pole and won the Sprint, Leclerc said he was confident about the race – and he proved why on the Sunday. Leclerc, running a more aggressive tyre strategy, overtook Verstappen for the lead not once, not twice, but three times – and even held his nerve amid a late reliability scare.

A much-needed victory, although Verstappen’s Sprint win and second place meant he did not lose too much ground in the title race.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 208-170 LECLERC

France: Leclerc throws win away

Another pole for Leclerc and another DNF, although this time he could only blame himself.

Leclerc withstood a Verstappen barrage through the opening stint and a Red Bull pit stop seemed to ease the pressure on Ferrari. But on Lap 18, Leclerc took too much speed into a corner and spun off into the barriers.

“Noooooo,” came the cry on team radio, and Verstappen once again proved the opportunist by taking the maximum points, ahead of the resurgent Mercedes cars.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 233-170 LECLERC

Hungary: Makes takes comeback win, Ferrari fluff their lines

It was a weekend very much of two halves in Hungary.

Red Bull had an awful qualifying, with Perez out in Q2 and Verstappen then suffering a reliability issue in Q3, leaving him 10th. Ferrari were second and third behind the pole-sitting Russell.

Leclerc looked to be the favourite after overcutting Sainz and then superbly passing Russell, but Ferrari seemed to get spooked by a charging Verstappen coming through the field, and reacted to the Red Bull’s stop by pitting Leclerc onto the hard tyres, the slowest available.

Leclerc was then a sitting duck to Verstappen who charged through to claim the biggest comeback win of his career, while Leclerc would stop again and finished way down in sixth. Ouch.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 258-178 LECLERC

Belgium: Verstappen’s epic comeback spells title fear

Ferrari and Leclerc arrived at Spa after F1’s summer break with hopes of narrowing the gap to Verstappen, but it ultimately turned out to be a weekend that made it very clear which direction the title was going in.

Despite starting from 14th on the grid after receiving a penalty for taking new engine parts, Verstappen scythed through the field to win by 17 seconds from Perez, in a stunning show of dominance.

Leclerc, who had started behind Verstappen after also taking a grid penalty, produced a solid comeback drive but finished sixth after a calamitous decision to stop on the penultimate lap saw him incur a pit lane speeding penalty that lost him a place.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 284-186 LECLERC

Netherlands: Verstappen holds off Merc for home win

In his first home race as world champion, Verstappen delighted the orange army by taking pole and then winning Sunday’s race.

Concerning for Ferrari, and in what was a sign of things to come, it was Mercedes who were Verstappen’s biggest challengers on the day, with Lewis Hamilton having been in contention for victory before a late Safety Car damaged his chances.

It was only the Safety Car that allowed Leclerc to pass Hamilton late in the race, but having started second the Monegasque finished third behind the other Mercedes of George Russell.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 310-201 LECLERC

Italy: Another Max comeback continues run

After Verstappen had thrilled the Dutch fans, Leclerc created similar delight at Monza on Saturday by taking pole, and looked set to have a solid chance of victory with Verstappen starting seventh after another grid penalty for taking new parts.

However, in a race that was reminiscent of Verstappen’s win from 14th in Belgium, the Red Bull was up to second within five laps, and would prove to have far too much pace for the Ferrari in a head-to-head battle.

Ferrari tried to battle Red Bull’s superiority by pitting Leclerc under an early Virtual Safety Car, but the move was ultimately in vain as Verstappen eased to a fifth successive race win.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 335-219 LECLERC

Singapore: Verstappen misses first title chance with scrappy seventh

Verstappen had his first chance to seal the title in Singapore, but a scrappy weekend would deny his coronation as a two-time world champion.

At the Marina Bay Street Circuit, where overtaking is difficult, Verstappen only started eighth after running out of fuel in the final stages of a qualifying session that took place on a drying track.

Leclerc took pole, but failed to take full advantage in the race as Verstappen’s team-mate Perez came to Red Bull’s aid, passing the Ferrari off the line and holding firm to ensure the team’s winning streak continued.

Verstappen could only finish seventh, but the result still moved him to the brink of a second world championship.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 341-237 LECLERC

Japan: Max seals title in confusing manner

Verstappen arrived in Suzuka knowing that if he won the race and Leclerc failed to finish second, he would be crowned world champion – and the Dutchman duly took pole to enhance that possibility.

However, things became far more complicated as a heavy downpour set up a rain-shortened race, which just about everybody in the paddock assume would see a reduction in the number of points awarded, and therefore all but end Verstappen’s hopes of sealing the title in Japan.

Verstappen won and Leclerc, after a final-lap error saw him incur a five-second penalty, came third behind Perez, but nobody thought the title race was over.

However, an alternative interpretation of the rules, which state that the reduced points are only applied if a race is suspended “and cannot be resumed”, saw full points awarded, and the news of that was bizarrely communicated to Verstappen as he emerged from his car at the end of the race.

Confusion continued with Verstappen hesitant to celebrate, but the Dutchman was eventually convinced that a second title was his, and the party in the Red Bull garage swiftly got under way.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 366-252 LECLERC

Verstappen seals record with strong end to season

Verstappen would go on to claim his 13th victory of the season at the United States GP in Austin, tying Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for the most wins in a season.

Ferrari’s performance would dip at this point, with Mercedes becoming a bigger threat to Red Bull as Hamilton finished second in Texas, with Leclerc having to settle for third.

The top two would be the same in Mexico City as Verstappen took sole ownership of the record for the most wins in a season, while Leclerc had to settle for seventh as Ferrari struggled in the high altitude.

Mercedes would claim their first win of the season in Sao Paulo and end Red Bull’s run of nine successive victories as Russell led a one-two from Hamilton.

Leclerc, whose attention was – by this point – firmly on holding off Perez for second in the championship, finished fifth as Verstappen came sixth after an early clash with Hamilton spoilt his race.

Verstappen would restore order in Abu Dhabi, dominating all weekend to claim his 15th win of the season, but Leclerc had cause for celebration too as he narrowly held off Perez to secure second on the day and in the championship standings.

POINTS: VERSTAPPEN 454-308 LECLERC