Charles Leclerc’s Consistency Almost Brought McLaren to Its Knees

Ferrari’s 2024 season was a rollercoaster ride, which started with Carlos Sainz’s emphatic win in Australia in the third round, followed by a slight but rather frustrating slump. However, their resurgence in the second half of the season took the grid by storm, and a string of consistent results led by Charles Leclerc nearly took McLaren’s glory away.

Leclerc finished P5 in every single race since the British GP in July. This helped add valuable points to Ferrari’s overall tally, helping them overtake Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship and come within touching distance of McLaren as well.

Another great example of consistency: Charles Leclerc ended the 2024 season with 12 consecutive top 5 finishes.

George Russell ended with 5 straight top 5 finishes.

No other driver ended on a streak of more than 1 top 5 finish. pic.twitter.com/GAIlaOMpmi

— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) December 29, 2024

Leclerc’s 12 consecutive top-five finishes (which included two wins) coupled with Sainz‘s regular push for the podiums took the battle with McLaren down to the wire. In the end, only a Lando Norris win in the season finale in Abu Dhabi secured the title for the Woking-based outfit. In the same race, Leclerc and Sainz finished P2 and P3 respectively.

Overall, Ferrari finished just 14 points behind McLaren, showing that they were just one more good result away from winning their first title since 2008. This strong ending to the 2024 season, however, sets the stage for the upcoming campaign where Ferrari is expected to be one of the contending teams from the get-go.

Ferrari and who else?

Ferrari, of course, won’t be the only favorite heading into the 2025 season, with McLaren once again expected to compete at the front. However, unlike in 2024, when both teams gained performance around the midway point, they are expected to be battling from round one itself.

Additionally, Red Bull cannot be counted out despite their dismal 2024 campaign, where car troubles and an underperforming Sergio Perez cost them the Constructors’ Championship. The Milton Keynes-based outfit also has Max Verstappen, a driver who proved he doesn’t need a winning car to emerge victorious, having won the 2024 drivers’ title with a subpar car.

Mercedes will also be a team to watch out for. Although they are not the clear favorites, the Silver Arrows did win three races in 2024, which proved that they have a winning formula waiting to be unlocked. All they need is a consistent operating window.

With four teams potentially in the running for the 2025 title, the margins will be very small, which means the ultimate difference could be determined by the skills of the drivers.