Fred Vasseur opens up on Charles Leclerc's potential to compete for F1 world title in 2025
12/13/2024 06:22 AM
With the 2024 Formula 1 season, Charles Leclerc's seventh year in the most important motorsport series has concluded. Of these seven years, the Monegasque has spent six at Scuderia Ferrari. In the overall tally, the Monegasque driver has beaten his teammate six times out of seven. The only one to manage to finish ahead of him was Carlos Sainz in 2021, the year the Spaniard joined the Maranello team.
Beyond this small detail, Charles Leclerc has demonstrated extreme speed in every circumstance and, above all, a progressive growth that has gradually smoothed out those typical youthful issues that affect every driver, even the best. His ability to manage tires and his strategic vision have grown over the years, bringing him to the level of the absolute top drivers in the category.
The common view is that the Monegasque is ready, and has been for some time, to fight for the drivers’ world championship. Recent history shows it: when he has been given a car that matches the situation, the Ferrari Academy talent has not disappointed. In 2022, at the start of the season, Charles Leclerc duelled, unafraid of the confrontation, with Max Verstappen. He held his own, was beaten, and beat him back.
Two champions were battling, but at a certain point, they could rely on cars with differing performance levels. The RB18 began losing weight and was developed into a powerhouse; the F1-75, plagued by reliability issues and wrong developments, ended the season in constant decline. Dreams faded in France, where Charles Leclerc made a significant mistake, but it was in Barcelona, with the “explosion” of the power unit, that it became clear Ferrari had lost the technical duel with Red Bull.
In short, this little flashback serves to remind us that, when the technical conditions were good, Charles Leclerc proved that he had the strength to take on a bulldog like Max Verstappen, the driver who is now universally recognized as the best on the grid.
Ferrari, Charles Leclerc world champion: Vasseur’s investiture
In a recent interview with the Italian daily newspaper La Stampa, Frederic Vasseur, among other things, spoke about Charles Leclerc’s potential to compete for the world title starting next year. When asked if his driver is ready to win the crown, he responded without hesitation: "For me, yes, now he is also more mature and consistent. The wins in Monte Carlo, Monza, and Austin show that he can handle pressure, he is not fragile in those situations." – the French manager pointed out.
Frederic Vasseur, if we may offer a small jab, is stating the obvious. That Charles Leclerc is ready for the title is a well-established fact, supported by a significant track record. If he hasn't achieved it yet, it is simply because Ferrari has never given him a car capable of truly fighting for the big prize.
The ball, therefore, is now in the Maranello team's court, which must finally provide that technical package capable of matching the situation, a car that Charles Leclerc can exploit to the fullest in a team that, it should be emphasized, is growing in other areas like organizational, managerial, and strategic ones.
That time has come. Ferrari knows it cannot wait for the regulatory overhaul of 2026 but must aim to win already next year, considering that performance convergence has finally been achieved and that 2024 ended on an upward trend. And, above all, understanding some principles that we will see in Project 677.
Clearly, next year, Charles Leclerc's path will face a potential obstacle named Lewis Hamilton. An opportunity that Ferrari wanted to seize to enhance the technical strength of the driver pair and bring that winning mentality that may have been missing in recent times in the red camp.
But Fred Vasseur is not concerned that the arrival of a seven-time world champion could create a negative atmosphere within the team: "I have good feelings. Charles and Lewis respect each other, they will collaborate. Charles has been aware of the project from the beginning, he supports it, he knows it's an opportunity for him too. Would I bet on Hamilton being world champion in 2025? I would bet on Ferrari." – he added.
These are comments that suggest the Prancing Horse has done its homework and feels confident in finally providing that consistent car that can be the weapon with which Charles Leclerc – but also Lewis Hamilton – can bring the title back to Maranello after too many years of drought.
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