Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc now 'both have a gun' in thrilling F1 title battle

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have a level playing field upon which to contest their title tussle, according to one much-respected racer. The two drivers look the most likely to challenge for the Formula 1 title this season, with the Ferrari and Red Bull cars looking a cut above the rest.

Leclerc is the runaway leader after just three races this year, having dropped only seven points to open up a healthy lead a the top of the drivers' standings. Verstappen has fallen some way behind, but that is due to some mechanical issues on his car rather than a lack of pace.

The defending champion pushed his rival all the way in Bahrain but failed to finish as an engine problem forced him to retire. He overtook the Monegasque in the final few laps of the race in Jeddah to win, but suffered another breakdown at the Australian Grand Prix which cost him another heap of points.

Speaking ahead of the race in Melbourne, and apparently under the impression that Red Bull had fixed their reliability issues, veteran motorsport star Tom Coronel suggested there was nothing to split the two racers. "As far as I can see, the Ferrari has been the better car up to now," he said, before suggesting that Red Bull had closed the gap.

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"Max fought with a knife, Leclerc with a gun," he added. "Now they both have a gun. I knew they (Red Bull) had a handicap, but that is now solved as it should be. That is very good news. Max can now go into battle."

The vastly experienced racer also gave his thoughts on the importance of weight in race cars, at a time when F1 cars are the heaviest they have ever been. A swathe of new technical rules for the current season led to the need for