{"id":27857,"date":"2024-12-09T03:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T08:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=27857"},"modified":"2024-12-08T11:30:42","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T16:30:42","slug":"charles-leclercs-2024-a-season-of-triumphs-trials-and-a-glimpse-of-ferraris-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/12\/09\/charles-leclercs-2024-a-season-of-triumphs-trials-and-a-glimpse-of-ferraris-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Leclerc\u2019s 2024: A Season of Triumphs, Trials, and a Glimpse of Ferrari\u2019s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Relieve all Charles Leclerc\u2019s moments this season, from the first podium in Saudi Arabia to the last dance in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n<h2>Charles Leclerc\u2019s highs and lows from the 2024 F1 season<\/h2>\n<p>Charles Leclerc had an eventful 2024 season, marked by more highs than compared to previous years. With Ferrari being more competitive than they were in 2023, the Monegasque had his time to shine.<\/p>\n<p>Leclerc fought until the very end to reach the Constructors&#8217; Title for Ferrari. As the team\u2019s main hope, CL16 rose to the challenge and delivered on expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Ferrari\u2019s long-term commitment to Leclerc is clear proof of the faith they have in him<\/p>\n<h4>High points: first half of the season<\/h4>\n<p>The first positive result for Leclerc arrived in Saudi Arabia where he conquered his first podium of the season in P3. He also gained the bonus point for the fastest lap right before crossing the finish line.<\/p>\n<p>The positive trend continued in Australia. In Melbourne, he qualified 5th but was later able to climb up to second position. He finished the race in P2, right behind his teammate Carlos Sainz. The two of them gave Ferrari the first double podium of 2024.<\/p>\n<p>After a series of fourth places in Japan and China, Leclerc was on the lower step of the podium in Miami and Imola, the first home race for the Scuderia.<\/p>\n<p>The standout moment of his season came in Monaco. On Saturday, Leclerc claimed pole position &#8211; his third at his home race. But the real celebration came on Sunday, as he secured a historic victory on the streets of Monte Carlo.<\/p>\n<p>Leclerc lead every single lap of the race, managing his tyres after his sole pit stop. He kept Oscar Piastri behind, with the help of Sainz Jr. in P3.<\/p>\n<p>That weekend, Leclerc made history as the first Monegasque driver to win on home soil in 93 years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/05\/27\/charles-leclerc-is-crowned-king-at-the-monaco-grand-prix\/\" target=\"_self\">Charles Leclerc Is Crowned King At The Monaco Grand Prix<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>High points: the second half of the season<\/h4>\n<p>Monza was a dream come true for every Tifoso. Starting P4, Leclerc gained a position when George Russell made a mistake at the start. He then capitalized on the battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to climb to P2.<\/p>\n<p>Leclerc opted for a one-stop strategy, unlike the McLarens. In the final laps, Norris tried to challenge him, but car #16 had brilliant tyre management. Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix, his second Monza victory with Ferrari, after the first in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>In Austin, he claimed his eighth career win. An incredible overtake at Turn 1 saw him take the lead from P4. Ferrari also celebrated their second double podium and one-two of the season at COTA.<\/p>\n<p>Although Mexico saw his teammate take victory, Leclerc finished P3 and secured his 10th fastest lap in Formula 1.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/12\/02\/safety-cars-penalties-and-surprise-points-qatar-gp-delivers-drama\/\" target=\"_self\">Qatar<\/a>, the Monagasque showed perfect timing and precision. Mercedes\u2019 error during Russell\u2019s pit stop and Norris\u2019 10-second penalty played into his hands.<\/p>\n<p>Leclerc managed his medium tyres masterfully and finished P2, keeping Ferrari\u2019s battle with McLaren alive in the Constructors\u2019 fight.<\/p>\n<p>The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix didn\u2019t start well for Leclerc, as he was eliminated in Q2. Starting P19, he gained five positions at the start. By the end of Lap 1, he was already in the points, having made up 11 spots.<\/p>\n<p>With smart strategy and immense effort, he finished on the podium in P3, alongside Sainz and Norris.<\/p>\n<p>Though Ferrari fell short of the Constructors\u2019 Title, Charles Leclerc ended the season with a stellar race. He finished third in the Drivers\u2019 Standings, closing out an impressive season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>YOU MAY ALSO LIKE<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/12\/08\/f2-ends-2024-season-with-drama-triumph-and-heartbreak-in-abu-dhabi\/\" target=\"_self\">F2 Ends 2024 Season with Drama, Triumph, and Heartbreak in Abu Dhabi<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Low points<\/h4>\n<p>This season, Leclerc has generally had better luck, likely thanks to Ferrari addressing many of the issues from the previous year. The car\u2019s improved reliability, combined with the team&#8217;s hard work and the driver\u2019s skill, made 2024 a step up from the prior season.<\/p>\n<p>However, things didn\u2019t always go as planned, and there were some misfortunes and mistakes along the way.<\/p>\n<p>It all started in Bahrain, where Leclerc qualified in second place but had to surrender his position to Russell on Lap 3. By Lap 7, he was overtaken by Sergio Perez, and just a few laps later, Carlos Sainz passed him as well. Despite this, Leclerc managed to finish in fourth, benefiting from a mistake by Russell during the second stint.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/09\/15\/why-mclarens-baku-triumph-isnt-enough\/\" target=\"_self\">Azerbaijan<\/a>, Leclerc secured his third consecutive pole at the track. He managed to hold his position against Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz during the first stint. However, after switching to hard tyres, Piastri passed him, and despite his efforts, Leclerc couldn\u2019t regain the lead. He eventually finished second, after a Safety Car period following a crash between Sainz and Perez<\/p>\n<h4>Challenges in the Final Stages of the Season<\/h4>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/11\/25\/viva-las-vegas-russell-wins-an-exciting-las-vegas-gp-as-a-world-champion-is-crowned\/\" target=\"_self\">Las Vegas<\/a>, Charles Leclerc gained second place at the start and even attempted to attack Russell for the lead, but he wasn\u2019t able to make it stick. This resulted in significant tyre wear, forcing him to give up his position to Sainz and later <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/11\/24\/max-verstappen-celebrates-fourth-formula-1-title-in-las-vegas\/\" target=\"_self\">Verstappen<\/a> before making a pit stop on Lap 10.<\/p>\n<p>After a pit stop issue with Sainz, the Spaniard emerged behind Leclerc. Despite team orders, Sainz passed Leclerc, leading to frustration on the radio from the Monegasque. However, on lap 46, Leclerc managed to overtake Verstappen and finished in P4.<\/p>\n<p>In Abu Dhabi, Leclerc faced another setback. During FP1, he received a ten-place grid penalty for the race for changing his car\u2019s battery. He also qualified in P14 and was eliminated in Q2 after having his lap time deleted for track limits.<\/p>\n<p>Despite starting from 19th, Leclerc made a remarkable recovery, climbing up to third by the end of the race, ending his season in style.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, while there were moments of frustration, Charles Leclerc\u2019s 2024 season was largely one of growth and triumph. Ferrari\u2019s improved competitiveness allowed him to showcase his talent, earning multiple podiums and race wins.<\/p>\n<p>In spite of the challenges, Leclerc finished third in the Drivers&#8217; Championship, reinforcing his status as one of the sport&#8217;s top talents.<\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/12\/03\/lewis-hamiltons-legacy-in-formula-1-2014-the-dawn-of-a-dynasty\/\" target=\"_self\">Lewis Hamilton<\/a> joining Ferrari in 2025, we could see the Monegasque driver and the seven-time world champion push McLaren and Red Bull for a fierce title fight throughout the season, signalling an exciting future for Ferrari.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/12\/08\/history-made-as-f1-academy-wraps-up-a-thrilling-second-season\/\" target=\"_self\">History Made as F1 Academy Wraps Up a Thrilling Second Season<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Relieve all Charles Leclerc\u2019s moments this season, from the first podium in Saudi Arabia to the last dance in Abu Dhabi. Charles Leclerc\u2019s highs and lows from the 2024 F1 season Charles Leclerc had an eventful 2024 season, marked by more highs than compared to previous years. With Ferrari being more competitive than they were [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4776,"featured_media":28051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[2220,339,445,84],"class_list":["post-27857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-formula-1","tag-2024-formula-1-season","tag-abu-dhabi-grand-prix","tag-charles-leclerc","tag-ferrari"],"modified_by":"Nicole Powell","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4776"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27857"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28054,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27857\/revisions\/28054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}