After the dramatic Dutch Grand Prix, Max Verstappen took the motorsport world by surprise when he publicly thanked his rival Charles Leclerc. The unexpected gesture stemmed from Leclerc’s crucial role in holding off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during the race, which significantly benefited Verstappen and Red Bull.
During the race, Piastri was in P3 and appeared poised to challenge Verstappen for a podium spot. However, Leclerc, who had climbed from his sixth-place start, found himself ahead of Piastri and managed to keep the McLaren driver at bay, preventing him from advancing. This defensive effort by Leclerc allowed Verstappen to secure a second-place finish, avoiding what could have been a more challenging race had Piastri been able to overtake.
Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko also acknowledged Leclerc’s efforts, stating, “We are very grateful to Leclerc for holding him off. I’m not entirely sure why that was, because he was a second faster than Max before he met Leclerc and couldn’t get past.”
Verstappen echoed this sentiment in his post-race comments, expressing his gratitude to Leclerc: “Charles did a fantastic job defending against Oscar. It made a huge difference for us, and I really appreciate it.”
Leclerc’s defensive driving played a pivotal role in maintaining Red Bull’s lead in the championship standings, as Piastri’s inability to pass him meant McLaren couldn’t gain further ground. The race ultimately saw Verstappen finishing second, with Red Bull scoring valuable points to keep their championship hopes alive.
