Charles Leclerc’s performance coach Jock Clear recently made an appearance on the F1 Nation podcast. Having worked with Michael Schumacher, the British engineer has become a veteran at Ferrari. Based on his vast knowledge and experience, the 61-year-old believes Leclerc has what it takes to be a world champion and is the best qualifier he has ever seen.
To answer the ‘Does Leclerc have what it takes?’ question, he said, “Yeah, absolutely. He’s got what it takes to be a world champion. He’s got the qualifying pace. My God, he’s got that. I honestly think he’s the best qualifier we’ve seen.”
Clear mentioned that it is difficult to compare the Monegasque with the likes of Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen, but still backed his qualifying prowess as the “best”. Even for his race pace, he highlighted Leclerc‘s metronomic 38-lap stint in Monza that earned him a famous Italian GP victory.
Magical moments at Monza ✨
Here’s the moment Charles Leclerc added to his home win in Monaco, with another for Ferrari in Italy #F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/d8lWa6o3h2
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 1, 2024
The Ferrari man has 26 pole positions to his name, to justify being the ‘best qualifier’. However, he often fails to convert his poles into wins. Although, his inability to win more races is stemming from the same reasons why he’s not been a contender for the championship.
The Monegasque got a sniff at the title in 2022. But his season was ruined by the Ferrari F1-75’s inconsistency. He even lost a few races from the lead because of the car’s troubles. However, it could all change in the upcoming season.
Leclerc can become world champion in 2025
Ferrari made a strong start to the 2024 season. They were the mighty Red Bull’s sole challengers. However, their mid-season upgrades put them a step back. The team back in Maranello has rectified its mistake and brought the SF-24 back up to speed.
The Monegasque could’ve also got his third win of the season in Baku. With this rate of development, if Ferrari keeps progressing steadily in the right direction, it could become a championship contender in 2025.
The Italian team is seeing a lot of positives in the current season and they’d want to build on it. However, that does not guarantee success for Leclerc. The 26-year-old will be met with perhaps the biggest challenge of his career in Lewis Hamilton.
The seven-time champion will join the Italian outfit next year. With the Brit’s desire to win his eighth championship still burning bright, he will pose a significant threat to his teammate. It will be interesting to see how Leclerc compares against Hamilton after having fended off Sebastian Vettel.
