When will the Leclerc-Ferrari combine click?
The Monegasque has already had six seasons at Ferrari with 2025 being his seventh
From the moment news reached him that Lewis Hamilton would be joining Ferrari in 2025, Carlos Sainz knew that he would need to make way for the seven-time world champion. “It was never going to be Charles,” Sainz had quite rightly said last year.
The Monegasque has been a Ferrari project since his junior days, built, groomed and developed by Formula 1’s most legendary marque, first at the Ferrari Driver Academy, then in junior Formula series and finally at the pinnacle of the sport itself.
Following 2018, when Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari truly challenged Hamilton and Mercedes for the title, the Scuderia knew Leclerc was their future, bringing him in after just one year at effectively their sister team, Alfa Romeo Sauber.
It was a significant move, especially coming from Ferrari, who are known to hire well-established drivers with multiple race wins, if not championships, to show in their resume.
Traditionally, that’s what big teams did — keep an eye out for exceptional talent and hire them after a significant amount of experience.
Michael Schumacher joined Ferrari after winning two world championships with Benetton. Ayrton Senna had to slog it out for four years in Toleman and Lotus before joining McLaren. Alain Prost was brought on board by Williams after three titles. Even Hamilton got a chance to join Ferrari after seven world championships!
But Formula 1 has changed today. Big teams are willing to take the bet on less experienced youngsters with the best example being Max Verstappen, who was just 18 years and 228 days when he raced for Red Bull, winning on debut at the 2016 Spanish GP.
Inspired by others, Ferrari brought in Leclerc at the tender age of 21 — the youngest Ferrari driver in 58 years. The youngster delivered too, earning multiple podiums and winning two races in Belgium and more importantly in Italy, in front of the adoring tifosi — the first Ferrari win at Monza in nine years.
In no time Leclerc established himself as the No.1 driver at Ferrari, superseding four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
But six years have flown by, the Leclerc-Ferrari dream has never really taken flight.
This weekend at Suzuka, Leclerc will be starting his 150th race in Formula 1, having won eight GPs in the red car. He has shown his pace with 26 pole positions, clearly indicating how quick he is over a lap when the car is the lightest. But Ferrari just haven’t been able to deliver.
In an old podcast where Nico Rosberg is interviewing Bernie Ecclestone, the 2016 world champion says, “Ferrari just mess up too much” with the former F1 supremo concurring with “Ferrari are... used to losing.”
Despite having top class drivers, Ferrari have often made pit wall decisions that have just not worked out, flummoxing fans and viewers alike. They have given away wins, podiums and points when everything was in their grasp.
This year too while tactical decisions resulted in Leclerc and Hamilton finishing 8th and 10th in Australia, both Ferrari drivers were disqualified for infringement of technical regulations, issues that the team could have managed.
The only time Leclerc really looked good for the championship — but briefly — was at the start of the 2022 season when the new technical regulations upended the existing order. Leclerc won two races and finished in the top two in the first five races, but their challenge started wilting as Red Bull’s Verstappen overturned a 46-point deficit to win the title by a humongous 146 points.
Post Kimi Raikkonen’s title in 2007 — the last Ferrari driver to win a world championship — two protagonists took their shot at the top prize riding the ‘Prancing Horse’. Fernando Alonso tried his hand in the red card for five years, ending as the runner-up thrice. Vettel got six seasons at the Maranello based team, ending second twice.
Leclerc has already had six seasons at Ferrari with 2025 being his seventh. This year too, Ferrari appear far off from the best team on the grid i.e. McLaren, who have won both the races so far this season.
The question is will Leclerc continue with Ferrari or try his luck at other teams? He is 27 now and by this age, most greats of the past had won a championship or two. With the new engine regulations set to kick in next year, it could be the last time Leclerc tries his luck with the Prancing Horse before frustration pushes him to try his luck elsewhere.
