Formula 1 championship battle overshadowing potential 2025 threat

After a historic season from Max Verstappen in 2023, which saw him break several Formula 1 records, he opened 2024 as the favorite yet again. However, McLaren’s quick improvement continued into this season, as Lando Norris has become a world championship hopeful and continues to close the points gap to the Dutchman. 

With all the excitement and attention surrounding those two drivers, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has had a splendid season that has flown under the radar, and he has not gotten nearly the credit he deserves. The Monegasque driver has made some massive improvements compared to the last few seasons which deserve recognition.

After a strong start to the 2022 season, which saw him win two of the first three races, Leclerc quickly became the championship favorite. However, a lack of consistency, strategy, and control of the car from the Ferrari driver quickly saw the battle move in Verstappen's favor.

But Leclerc has quietly become a championship caliber driver.

When the Monegasque driver entered Formula 1, he was deemed a massive talent whom many believed could become a world champion.

Through the struggles and disappointments, the level of consistency Leclerc has shown this season is extremely impressive. The 27-year-old has finished in the top five in all but three races this year and has even managed a trio of wins, matching his career-high for a single season.

Leclerc has also silenced the absolute biggest concern holding him back from winning a championship: consistency. Over the last two-plus seasons, he has made several laughable errors, with the most notable one being a crash on the formation lap in Brazil last year.

Under the direction of team principal Fred Vasseur, the SF-24 has transformed into arguably the best car on the grid, with Ferrari having won three of the five most recent Grands Prix. Leclerc has been Formula 1's top scorer during that five-race stretch. Expect them to carry that momentum forward when Lewis Hamilton arrives in 2025 as well.

Leclerc has put himself in quite a good position to challenge for the 2025 title, given Ferrari's improvement and given some of the ongoing issues that Red Bull and McLaren are facing. If he can replicate this level of consistency next season, the only thing potentially stopping him from being crowned world champion might be his new teammate.