With the 2024 Formulation 1 season, Charles Leclerc’s seventh 12 months in an important motorsport collection has concluded. Of those seven years, the Monegasque has spent six at Scuderia Ferrari. Within the general tally, the Monegasque driver has crushed his teammate six occasions out of seven. The one one to handle to complete forward of him was Carlos Sainz in 2021, the 12 months the Spaniard joined the Maranello staff.
Past this small element, Charles Leclerc has demonstrated excessive velocity in each circumstance and, above all, a progressive development that has regularly smoothed out these typical youthful points that have an effect on each driver, even the most effective. His capability to handle tires and his strategic imaginative and prescient have grown through the years, bringing him to the extent of absolutely the high drivers within the class.
The frequent view is that the Monegasque is prepared, and has been for a while, to struggle for the drivers’ world championship. Current historical past exhibits it: when he has been given a automotive that matches the state of affairs, the Ferrari Academy expertise has not upset. In 2022, in the beginning of the season, Charles Leclerc duelled, unafraid of the confrontation, with Max Verstappen. He held his personal, was crushed, and beat him again.
Two champions had been battling, however at a sure level, they may depend on vehicles with differing efficiency ranges. The RB18 started shedding weight and was developed right into a powerhouse; the F1-75, stricken by reliability points and flawed developments, ended the season in fixed decline. Goals pale in France, the place Charles Leclerc made a big mistake, however it was in Barcelona, with the “explosion” of the facility unit, that it turned clear Ferrari had misplaced the technical duel with Pink Bull.
In brief, this little flashback serves to remind us that, when the technical situations had been good, Charles Leclerc proved that he had the power to tackle a bulldog like Max Verstappen, the motive force who’s now universally acknowledged as the most effective on the grid.
Ferrari, Charles Leclerc world champion: Vasseur’s investiture
In a current interview with the Italian each day newspaper La Stampa, Frederic Vasseur, amongst different issues, spoke about Charles Leclerc’s potential to compete for the world title beginning subsequent 12 months. When requested if his driver is able to win the crown, he responded with out hesitation: “For me, sure, now he’s additionally extra mature and constant. The wins in Monte Carlo, Monza, and Austin present that he can deal with strain, he’s not fragile in these conditions.” – the French supervisor identified.
Frederic Vasseur, if we might supply a small jab, is stating the plain. That Charles Leclerc is prepared for the title is a well-established reality, supported by a big monitor file. If he hasn’t achieved it but, it’s just because Ferrari has by no means given him a automotive able to really combating for the massive prize.
The ball, due to this fact, is now within the Maranello staff’s court docket, which should lastly present that technical bundle able to matching the state of affairs, a automotive that Charles Leclerc can exploit to the fullest in a staff that, it must be emphasised, is rising in different areas like organizational, managerial, and strategic ones.
That point has come. Ferrari is aware of it can not anticipate the regulatory overhaul of 2026 however should intention to win already subsequent 12 months, contemplating that efficiency convergence has lastly been achieved and that 2024 ended on an upward pattern. And, above all, understanding some ideas that we are going to see in Mission 677.
Clearly, subsequent 12 months, Charles Leclerc’s path will face a possible impediment named Lewis Hamilton. A chance that Ferrari needed to grab to reinforce the technical power of the motive force pair and convey that profitable mentality which will have been lacking in current occasions within the pink camp.
However Fred Vasseur shouldn’t be involved that the arrival of a seven-time world champion may create a adverse ambiance inside the staff: “I’ve good emotions. Charles and Lewis respect one another, they are going to collaborate. Charles has been conscious of the mission from the start, he helps it, he is aware of it’s a chance for him too. Would I guess on Hamilton being world champion in 2025? I might guess on Ferrari.” – he added.
These are feedback that counsel the Prancing Horse has completed its homework and feels assured in lastly offering that constant automotive that may be the weapon with which Charles Leclerc – but additionally Lewis Hamilton – can carry the title again to Maranello after too a few years of drought.
— see video above —