Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Charles Leclerc has quietly enjoyed a very productive start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, despite being stuck with Ferrari’s frustratingly slow car.
New teammate Lewis Hamilton secured the team’s only win of the season in Shanghai, but Leclerc has been the faster and more consistent driver overall.
Ferrari are aware that upgrades are required for them to stand a chance at ending a 17-year title drought, but it may be a wiser choice to focus on the 2026 F1 regulations.
Leclerc dealt Hamilton bad news in Saudi Arabia by admitting he has never felt so at ease in a Ferrari car across seven iterations of their machines.
It followed Leclerc beating a Jackie Stewart record for podiums, with the Monegasque now 20th on the all-time rostrums list in Formula 1.
With 19 races left to go, it’s impossible to say that the drivers’ championship is already over, but if not, it would end up being an incredible turnaround from the Scuderia.
Charles Leclerc’s ‘crazy’ Ferrari tyre management proved he can go beyond the limits in Saudi Arabia
Leclerc earned comparison to Michael Schumacher after the Chinese Grand Prix which resulted in disqualification. Without the loss of those points, he may still have been a dark horse title contender.
Yet again in Saudi Arabia, he extended his tyre stint and proved that he can make his rubber last as long as anyone at the top level. He can push the Pirellis beyond the limit.
Riccardo Ceccarelli agrees and recalled the ‘crazy’ feat Leclerc managed at Monza last year when discussing his race in Jeddah.
“I remembered a bit that race when in Monza, Charles managed to make one less stop and to keep a crazy pace and to win the race against all expectations,” he said.
“Because we thought of a tyre degradation when he also said to the engineers, ‘Don’t talk about it at the limit.’
“Well, this Charles is capable of doing it and of going beyond the limits when he sees a prestigious result in front.”
Does Charles Leclerc still have a chance of winning the 2025 F1 title?
Formula 1’s return to Europe next months might be the exact ingredient Ferrari need to get back on track with their season.
After concluding the 2024 campaign with the second fastest car (by a slender margin), they have taken a few steps back over the winter and must add to their car if they want to get back to where they were.
Over the last few years, they have enjoyed success towards the end of the season, but capitalising on opportunities early in the campaign will be one of their keys to ending their winning drought too.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is where many teams will bring the first of their big development packages, and it’ll be up to the Italian team to make theirs the most effective.
Otherwise, yet another season will have been written off, with attention turning to 2026 earlier than they would have hoped.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
