Charles Leclerc’s performance this year has not been up to his usual standards. In the qualifying battles of the 2024 season, Leclerc has been outperformed by his teammate at Ferrari. While Leclerc is known for his strong qualifying performances, this year has been a different story for him.
After a four-year absence, Formula 1 is back in China. The last race at the Shanghai circuit took place in 2019 before the Covid restrictions. This season, a sprint race has been added to the event, giving Leclerc a chance to make a comeback. With two opportunities to make a recovery, he hopes to seize this perfect opportunity.
Leclerc’s struggles this year have led many to believe that he relies too much on his pace, unlike his teammate. Although Leclerc has more points than his teammate, this is largely due to Carlos Sainz missing a race during the weekend in Jeddah. Sainz has outperformed Leclerc on several occasions, putting Leclerc in a challenging position.
While Red Bull’s dominance in Formula 1 is not surprising, Ferrari has managed to close the gap with the Milton Keynes-based team. Unlike the difficulties faced in 2023, the Italian team is determined not to make mistakes this year.
Despite some solid performances from Ferrari, Leclerc still believes that not much has changed and that his team is still the second fastest, behind Red Bull. After four rounds in the 2024 season, Red Bull has accumulated 141 points compared to Ferrari’s 120. With that in mind, Ferrari has the potential to surpass Red Bull at the end of the Chinese Grand Prix. However, it will be a challenging task considering the strength of the RB20.