With three minutes remaining in Q1, Kevin Magnussen’s Haas suffered an engine failure resulting in a red flag, which halted the session. As the session resumed, a sense of urgency swept over the drivers and teams.
In a bid to get back on track ahead of other drivers, Verstappen hurriedly exited the pits but ended up hitting his front wing on the wall of the pit lane. Fortunately, the mechanics swiftly pushed the car back into the pits for repairs, allowing Verstappen to rejoin the qualifying session just in time.
Verstappen trolls Leclerc with a clever reference
Max went on to secure pole position later, surpassing McLaren driver, Lando Norris by over two-tenths. In the press conference following the qualifying session, Max Verstappen lightened the mood by making a humorous reference to Charles Leclerc, who drives for Ferrari.
🚨 “i had a little inchident” 👀 #F1 #Formula1 #MaxVerstappen #CharlesLeclerc #BritishGP
— Red Flag (@RedFlagFone) July 8, 2023
Leclerc experienced a disappointing performance as the Ferrari team was outperformed by the McLaren driver. Rookie Oscar Piastri managed to qualify ahead of Leclerc. Moreover, the Monégasque had a disagreement with his stablemate, Carlos Sainz Jr. during the session. As a result, he now starts the race behind Oscar Piastri from P4, ahead of his teammate Carlos in P5.
Several F1 fans may recall a viral interview of a young Charles Leclerc after a karting race that Max was a part of. In the interview, Max and Charles were involved in an accident, which prompted Max to respond angrily with a lengthy remark.
When asked about the incident, Charles casually stated, “Nothing, just an inchident.” The video went rapidly viral on social media.
During the press conference following the qualifying, Max referred to his pit lane incident as an “inchident.” Follow up with a chuckle, making it evident that he was playfully mocking Leclerc with his remark.
What is Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc’s relationship?
Despite their current friendly relationship, the pair’s dynamic was poles apart in their junior racing years. Born within 16 days of each other, both drivers have competed against each other throughout their racing careers. The constant competition developed an intense rivalry between the duo.
Now both drivers are part of the exhilarating world of Formula One, competing for the ultimate goal of becoming the World Champion. Verstappen has already won two titles, while Leclerc gives him strong competition for his first win. It remains to be seen if Charles will beat Verstappen and achieve a Championship win in the future.