P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Autosport Top 50 of 2023: #14 Charles Leclerc
In 2023, Charles Leclerc had a mixed season with Ferrari. He had a close battle with his teammate Carlos Sainz, with their car’s characteristics favoring one driver over the other at different times. However, Leclerc’s performance in the last two races helped him move ahead in the championship. He almost secured victory in Las Vegas due to favorable conditions, and he strategically challenged Mercedes in Abu Dhabi. Despite making some errors and pushing the car to its limits, Leclerc showed his effectiveness in qualifying by securing pole position in three of the last five races.
However, bad luck seemed to follow Leclerc throughout the season. An electronics failure caused him to crash during the formation lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, resulting in a DNS on the final classification. Although Leclerc finished with the same number of points as Fernando Alonso, he lost the fourth place due to Alonso’s greater number of third-place finishes. Overall, Leclerc’s season could have been better if not for the unfortunate incidents and bad luck that plagued him throughout the year.
Looking ahead, Leclerc will hope for better fortunes with Ferrari in 2024 after an encouraging end to the season. With a more predictable car, he believes he won’t have to take as many risks and will be able to perform consistently.
