F1 fans desperate for ‘epic’ Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen battle after what they saw at the Belgian Grand Prix

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Charles Leclerc secured his fifth podium of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Belgian Grand Prix, beating Max Verstappen to P3.

Ferrari had pinned a lot of hope on their new rear suspension upgrade to propel them up the order at Spa. It has been widely publicised that the update could bring them closer to McLaren, but that was not the case.

Oscar Piastri cruised to victory for the Woking outfit after Lando Norris made an error at the safety car restart and could not catch up after he was passed down the Kemmel straight. Meanwhile, Leclerc struggled to make up ground on the McLarens and settled for third.

However, he had the Red Bull of Max Verstappen to contend with throughout the race. The dirty air at Spa meant most drivers could not make solid moves through the field, with the Dutchman being stuck behind Leclerc for the entire race.

Leclerc said battling Verstappen took its toll on him physically as he had to fight hard to keep the four-time champion behind his Ferrari. His tense scrap with the Dutchman was rewarded with a podium finish, as Ferrari stay ahead of Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.

F1 fans want to see Charles Leclerc battle Max Verstappen in equal machinery after Belgian Grand Prix fight

Leclerc and Verstappen’s average lap times across the Belgian Grand Prix were within just one thousandth of a second of each other. While that is not surprising given how close they were to one another throughout the race, it has prompted fans to call for an equal fight between the drivers.

Several took to Reddit to express their desire to watch Leclerc and Verstappen head-to-head in the same machinery. They have shown flashes of what could be an interesting match-up over the years, as many fans noted.

“I really want to see these two go at it for a whole season for the title in equal(ish) cars. Max and Charles have some of the best wheel to wheel battles of the grid. Both are aggressive but somehow when it’s against each other, it’s perfectly controlled aggression. It’s just so entertaining to watch,” said one fan.

Another added: “The fact that Leclerc hasn’t been given a championship contender car over a full F1 season is criminal. Shame on Ferrari, really. We’re being robbed of what could be Verstappen’s best challenger after Hamilton.”

“I’m biased because they’re my favourite drivers, but I couldn’t agree more. I would love to see them battling against each other in a similar car. I think it would be a close 50/50 over who would end up winning,” said one user.

Another replied: “We saw a brief glimpse of what could have been in 2022 – epic wheel-to-wheel battles with no contact between the two of them. It’s been pretty consistent over the years whenever these have gone wheel to wheel, it’s provided us with close to the limit racing without contact.”

One fan noted how much the Monegasque driver loves fighting Verstappen: “I find it endearing how much Leclerc loves to battle him on track, the past few years whenever it’s happened he’s always (rather excitedly) said it’s fun since Verstappen is aggressive like no other.”

Finally, another user expressed how the Ferrari star was always go to the limit with his Red Bull rival: “Max knows if he crosses the line, Charles will not hesitate to put him into a wall.”

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Ferrari still have work to do even after their rear suspension upgrade at Spa

Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton praised Leclerc for his performance at Spa. The Brit managed to salvage P7 after starting from the pit lane, having been eliminated in the first part of Sprint and regular qualifying.

Hamilton continued to show that he is still a way away from competing with his teammate at Ferrari. But even after their rear suspension upgrade, it is clear that the team still have work to do.

Leclerc feared needing to have ‘extreme’ set-ups on his SF-25, even with the update on the car. Leclerc feels Ferrari have ‘a lot of work to do’ after speaking to Hamilton about the feeling of the car in the wet conditions.

Ferrari are shifting their focus to 2026, which could be Hamilton’s last chance to win another world championship. The Brit and Leclerc’s chances of success this season are slim to none, but they will hope their new upgrades will spur them on for the new regulations.