Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc believes it will be “very, very difficult” to catch Red Bull before the current set of Formula One regulations change at the end of the 2025 season.

Leclerc is one of just two non-Red Bull drivers to have won a race this year, despite the fact that Red Bull has won every race.

Max Verstappen, the team’s two-time world champion, is also aiming for his seventh consecutive race victory.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton stated that “it’s very possible Charles is correct.”

“They have a really big margin and it’s going to be very, very difficult to catch them before the change in regulations,” said Leclerc, 25, during the Dutch Grand Prix.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton stated that “it’s very possible Charles is correct.”

F1’s current rules were established last year, and after a first-half push from Ferrari, the team dominated the second half of the season. In 2023, their performance was even better.

The next major rule change is scheduled for 2026, when a new set of aerodynamic regulations will be implemented alongside heavily revised engines that will produce approximately 50% of the power produced by the hybrid part of the power-unit – up from 20% currently – as well as the introduction of fully sustainable synthetic fuels.

Red Bull likely had a head start on developing next year’s car, according to Hamilton.

“They are ahead and have most likely begun developing next year’s car months before everyone else because they are 100, 200 points ahead in the championship,” the seven-time winner explained.

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If Red Bull’s Verstappen wins his ninth race in a row this weekend at Zandvoort, he would equal the all-time record set by Sebastian Vettel, also of Red Bull, in 2013.

Many in Formula One anticipate Verstappen to win all 10 remaining races this season and set a spectacular new record, and he insisted the thousands of Dutch fans expected to fill the coastal circuit this weekend were not a distraction.

“It’s just fantastic,” said Verstappen, who has won both races at Zandvoort since it returned to the calendar following a 36-year absence.

“It doesn’t put a weight on my shoulders or put extra pressure on me.” We’re able to do this now, which is amazing, and hopefully it will continue, but it’s just fantastic to be here, see all the fans, and drive such an incredible track.”

“There’s a good chance he’ll win every race,” Hamilton added, “but we’re hoping to challenge him at some point.” And if there are any errors or mishaps, we will be immediately there to help. So far, he and the team haven’t made any.”

Lando Norris of McLaren, whose team jumped to the front of the pack after Red Bull in the four races before the summer break, feels it is also conceivable to win a race this year.

“We have to have some luck, something has to happen to Max from a reliability standpoint for it to happen,” Norris explained.

“I don’t have the confidence to say we can beat him.” Maybe we can out-qualify him every now and then. We’ve been close, and there are still several tracks ahead where we can be close or even ahead if everything comes together, but the race is where Red Bull excels. Their tyre deterioration is virtually non-existent as compared to the rest of the grid, including Mercedes.”

“It’s different than in the past in that we’re much closer in qualifying than we’ve seen in the past,” Leclerc remarked.

“Normally, when we see a team dominating, it is in qualifying and the race, but for some reason, the gaps are much wider in the race with Red Bull, and that is why we are all working towards our race pace because Red Bull is so far ahead.”

“There is still much work to be done. We have certain innovations in the next few races that will help us make a significant stride ahead, but we may also have some unexpected surprises with these cars since they are so sensitive that a minor adjustment may have a large impact, which hopefully will be the case for us.”