Charles Leclerc will be looking to take the next step in 2025 as he hopes to take the fight to Max Verstappen.
The Monegasque driver grabbed three wins and 12 podiums in 2024 as he finished third in the standings behind champion Verstappen and Lando Norris.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Max Verstappen |
437 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
374 |
| 3 |
Charles Leclerc |
356 |
| 4 |
Oscar Piastri |
292 |
| 5 |
Carlos Sainz Jr |
290 |
| 6 |
George Russell |
245 |
| 7 |
Lewis Hamilton |
223 |
| 8 |
Sergio Perez |
152 |
| 9 |
Fernando Alonso |
70 |
| 10 |
Pierre Gasly |
42 |
It was a mixed season for Leclerc as he finally secured victory at his home race in Monaco, as well as great wins at Monza and Austin, but he failed to secure the Constructors’ Championship as Ferrari lost out to McLaren by just 14 points.
Ferrari had made a step forward after Red Bull regressed with their RB20. but the Maranello outfit were ultimately held back by their upgrade in Barcelona which failed miserably. Leclerc particularly suffered the effects of it as he did not score points at Spielberg or Silverstone.
Some moments of brilliance from the 27-year-old were also followed by errors that many would argue he should not make as a title contender. Peter Windsor says Leclerc must stop making track limits mistakes in 2025 as it is something that would not be expected from Verstappen.
Ferrari’s ‘extra effort’ in 2025 will allow Charles Leclerc to end Max Verstappen’s title run
After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it is clear that Ferrari have the advantage over Red Bull heading into 2025 as they look to compete with McLaren at the front.
Leclerc produced an ‘epic’ first lap in Abu Dhabi according to Anthony Davidson, as he climbed up to eighth after starting P19 due to a grid penalty for a changed battery in practice. The Monegasque driver ended up finishing an impressive third behind teammate Carlos Sainz, while Norrs’ win secured the constructors’ title for McLaren.
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The Maranello outfit will be looking to continue the momentum next season and keep their advantage in performance over Verstappen and Red Bull. Speaking on the RacingNews365 YouTube channel, Michael Bleekemolen thinks Ferrari will put in that ‘extra effort’ for 2025.
He says that their operations is ‘so clever’ and that it will be Leclerc that dethrones Verstappen: “I think a little bit about Ferrari and Leclerc. I still think that Ferrari are going to put extra effort into the engines and still get the last bit out of it.
“It is strange that they were not completely there for a while and those people have everything in-house.
“They make everything themselves down to the last casting. Everything is produced there so I think it’s so clever and that’s why you sometimes think, now will they find the connection again and I think that will happen.”
Charles Leclerc faces strong competition with Lewis Hamilton as his Ferrari teammate
Heading into 2025, Leclerc will face a whole new challenge at Ferrari as he finds himself partnered with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Brit will join the team next season after a disappointing end to his incredible Mercedes career. Hamilton recorded his lowest finish in a championship in 2024 with seventh, and he will be hoping to reignite his form with Ferrari.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Fighting Leclerc will not be easy given he is one of the strongest drivers over one lap. But the 39-year-old did prove in moments this season that he can still be competitive, particularly Hamilton’s vintage performance in Abu Dhabi to finish fourth from P16.
Frederic Vasseur hinted that Leclerc and Hamilton will be allowed to race next season as they look to give equal treatment to their drivers.
But any kind of intervention from the Ferrari boss may not be possible, as Hamilton may have ‘arranged’ his contract to prevent team orders with Leclerc, giving him the freedom to challenge his new teammate.
