Charles Leclerc will probably be measured immediately in opposition to essentially the most profitable System 1 driver of all time this yr. Final yr he as soon as once more out-scored Carlos Sainz Jnr, although there wasn’t a lot between the Ferrari group mates, and there have been days Leclerc didn’t fairly have the tempo.
However the mixed power of their driver line-up was additionally the explanation why Ferrari got here so near snatching the constructors’ championship with the third-quickest automotive over a flying lap. Leclerc due to this fact deserves credit score for prevailing in opposition to a harder group mate than the opposite drivers in our high three confronted.
That was regardless of Leclerc’s considerably faltering begin to the yr. After brake issues in Bahrain, he delivered a podium end in Jeddah (which Sainz missed) then was crushed to victory by his group mate in Australia. Leclerc recovered from a poor qualifying effort at Suzuka to path Sainz in fourth after being informed to let him by.
He hit his stride over the next races: Fourth was the perfect the Ferrari deserved in China, as was third in Miami (plus second within the dash race) and third at Imola. Then got here his elegant and cathartic win from pole at residence in Monaco.
Charles Leclerc
Greatest
Worst
GP begin
1 (x3)
19
GP end
1 (x3)
14
Factors
356
At this level within the season Ferrari stumbled attributable to a flawed improve, and at occasions it felt Leclerc was over-compensating for the setback. He was lucky to keep away from a stiffer penalty for a daft incident with Lando Norris in apply at Catalunya, endured numerous setbacks in Austria, and gambled fruitlessly on an early swap to intermediates at Silverstone.
As soon as Ferrari received their automotive sorted, Leclerc received again into his stride and produced some wonderful performances over the remaining races. From a shock pole place at Spa he completed third, a consequence he repeated at Zandvoort, each behind clearly faster vehicles. At Monza he shocked the McLarens, pinching victory with an adroit swap to a single-stop technique which despatched the tifosi into raptures.
Oscar Piastri had revenge at Baku the place he mugged Leclerc for the lead after their pit stops, however the Ferrari driver was on the rostrum once more. Leclerc took his remaining win of the yr in Austin, revelling in a uncommon day when an SF-24 was the chassis to have.
Leclerc continued to ship sturdy outcomes over the ultimate races, even on events when qualifying didn’t go to plan. He rebounded from ninth to fifth in Singapore and took fifth once more within the rain at Interlagos.
Sainz continued to present Leclerc complications infrequently. In Mexico, Sainz was clearly the faster of the 2 drivers, and Leclerc additionally misplaced to his group mate in a detailed struggle in Las Vegas. However he ended the season with two extra podium appearances: second in Qatar, and third in Abu Dhabi after a virtuoso drive from nineteenth on the grid.
That wasn’t fairly sufficient to ship the title for Ferrari, nor for Leclerc to overtake Lando Norris and equal his greatest championship consequence. But it surely was unquestionably his greatest season-long efficiency so far.
RaceFans’ driver rankings are primarily based partly on the scores awarded to drivers for his or her performances in every spherical in addition to different components.
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