In a season when Max Verstappen’s supposed invincibility came under threat, Charles Leclerc might have dethroned him if not for Ferrari’s mid-season slump. Such has been the Monegasque’s consistency in 2024 whenever the Italian outfit provided a competitive car to fight at the front.
Since the summer break, Leclerc has scored the most points of any driver, even beating the two title contenders – Verstappen and Lando Norris. F1 analyst Daniel Valente posted about the same on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting how the #16 driver’s consistency was a point to discuss.
After Leclerc‘s tally of 142 points, Norris came in at 141, while Verstappen managed to amass 126 points in the run of eight races since the Dutch GP. The Ferrari driver has won as many races as the championship challenger Norris (2). This is an interesting statistic, considering that the McLaren MCL38 has been a more consistently quick car across all tracks.
Charles Leclerc now leads all drivers in points scored since the summer break
Charles Leclerc – 142
Lando Norris – 141
Max Verstappen – 126
Oscar Piastri – 101
George Russell – 101
Carlos Sainz – 97A Ferrari sandwich among the top 6. pic.twitter.com/Ctfi4DwLiO
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) November 25, 2024
On the other hand, Ferrari experienced a sharp decline in form after Leclerc’s Monaco GP victory in May. The upgrades to the SF-24 in Barcelona reintroduced porpoising to the car, which handicapped their performance throughout the European leg of the season.
They had to roll back on that package to introduce a slew of new parts at their home race in Monza. That marked a turning point for Ferrari, and this time, it was a positive one, propelling them back into contention for wins and podiums. Since then, Leclerc has claimed victory at two Grands Prix—Monza and Austin—while Carlos Sainz secured a win in Mexico City.
However, Sainz’s performance since the summer break has been a bit mercurial, putting him a bit lower on the points tally that Valente posted. The Spaniard has scored only 97 points in these eight races since the summer break despite scoring multiple podiums and winning the Mexican GP.
That further elaborates how Leclerc has maximized the potential of the Ferrari car this season whenever they haven’t struggled with any major issues, as was the case from Canada to Belgium.
