Max Verstappen is "cool and relaxed" compared to Charles Leclerc who is "very hard on himself", according to two prominent Formula 1 journalists.
The Monegasque is the nearest rival to the defending champion but suffered a blow at the French Grand Prix. He crashed while leading the race, gifting the win to the Red Bull star and falling even further behind in the standings.
It means Verstappen now has a 63-point advantage that he will be looking to extend even further before the summer break. And it left Leclerc admitting that he will have no-one to blame but himself if he misses out on the title this year.
The Ferrari racer told reporters in France that he feels he is a better driver than he has ever been, but also more prone to errors. Speaking on the latest episode of the F1 Nation podcast, AFP journalist Daniel Ortelli said that statement was "contradictory".
He said: "'I've never been that good, but I keep making mistakes'. [Leclerc] really is very hard on himself, and doesn't allow himself to make a mistake. He knows he's so competitive, and he knows they are up against Red Bull."
This crash was the second big mistake made by Leclerc this season, after another spin at Imola earlier in the year. Meanwhile the only DNFs suffered by Verstappen came in two of the first three races, and both were caused by mechanical issues rather than driver error.
Impressed by Verstappen's consistency, Ortelli said: "It's strange, because Max now has results the same way Lewis had results before. He was always on the podium, finishing the races. Now we have a new Max who is so cool, so relaxed, that basically he doesn't care whether he wins or finishes second or third. He just wants to take the points."
Speaking on the same podcast, fellow reporter Erik van Haren expressed his belief that the defending champion is less prone to making simple errors compared to his Ferrari rival. He added: "It was a big difference with Max.
"Max made mistakes in the past, and he will make mistakes maybe later, because he is not a robot, he's human. After every mistake, [Leclerc] is so hard on himself. You can say that's good, but you can make a mistake."
