F1 News: Max Verstappen Defeated By Charles Leclerc In Charity Competition

Charles Leclerc has something to cheer about.

Max Verstappen has always held a reputation for being unbeatable on the track. He knows no losing, except on the Padel court where he lost a game as part of a charity competition. The three-time world champion lost the final of a Padel tournament last weekend to Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. 

Padel, or padel tennis, is a Mexican-origin racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed court that's a bit smaller than the conventional tennis court. Though the scoring system is the same as in tennis, padel's techniques, rules, and strokes are quite different. 

While Verstappen had alongside him his friend Norman Nato, who is set to drive for Andretti Global in Formula E, Leclerc had an edge in the game as his partner. Thomas Johansson, isn't from a racing background, but instead a former Grand Slam winner in tennis. 

If it wasn't for Nato's Instagram post, we wouldn't know who won the tournament. Thanks to him, his social media post is an image of the four players posing for the camera after the game. Describing the event, Nato wrote in the caption:

"Great fun playing in the very first @alltime.mc padel tournament together with athletes from all different sports and backgrounds.

"A lot of fun and just a little bit of competition."

"You forgot to mention that you lost in the final I think," was a comment that came from Leclerc, who probably sensed that the most important detail was missing. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Norman Nato (@norman_nato)

Padel is a popular game among several Formula 1 drivers. Not only do Verstappen and Leclerc indulge in it quite often, but so do Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Lando Norris, and Alex Albon. They have been spotted on Padel courts around the world but it is not yet known if they too participated in the charity competition in Monaco.