Guenther Steiner wants to see 26-year-old driver succeed Max Verstappen as F1 world champion

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Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has admitted he would love to see Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc succeed Max Verstappen as Formula 1 world champion.

Charles Leclerc didn’t have his most successful season in 2023, failing to convert some incredible performances in qualifying into a race win.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Steiner admitted the 26-year-old was top of the list of candidates he would like to see challenge the Dutchman.

It’s hard to see anyone getting close to Max Verstappen right now.

Described by Giancarlo Fisichella as a ‘cannibal’, his record in 2023 set record after record within the sport.

Eventually, every driver’s success has to come to an end.

The rule changes coming to Formula 1 in 2026 could finally spell the end of Red Bull’s dominance although it’s hard to see them or Verstappen giving up their titles before then.

However, Guenther Steiner wants to see Charles Leclerc become a Formula 1 champion, albeit for slightly selfish reasons.

The Monegasque driver has been described by Martin Brundle as potentially an even quicker driver than Verstappen.

While that’s a huge claim, it would be interesting to see how they got on in much more even machinery.

Steiner wants Leclerc to become F1 world champion

Asked about the upcoming season, Steiner said: “I think somebody will challenge Red Bull and Max [Verstappen] next year I would say.

“I think that we will have that one in 2024, for me Lewis [Hamilton], I don’t think he will stop.

“I mean physically you would never think that he’s 38 or next year 39, you would never think that’s, he’s very fit.

“I don’t think he’s ready to stop doing it because I think he likes what he does.

Sky journalist Craig Slater then asked: “Who succeeds Max as champion, either next year or in another year?”

Steiner replied: “I hope Charles [Leclerc] because that means they’ve got a good package and then we have got a good package as well, that’s my self-interest!”

Leclerc will hope that Steiner’s dreams come true and that he can become the first Ferrari driver to become an F1 world champion since Kimi Raikkonen.

So much of that comes down to whether Ferrari can deliver a car capable of competing with Red Bull.

Their one-lap pace last year matched the champions but they couldn’t sustain it on a Sunday.

Leclerc will want to convert a pole position into a race win soon especially as his teammate Carlos Sainz was the only man to disrupt Red Bull’s domination in 2023.