“One of the Greatest Drivers in F1’: Charles Leclerc Mentioned in the Same Breath as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen Despite 0 World Championships

Leading the championship after 3 races by a 46-point margin. It all felt so great for Charles Leclerc last year in Australia before the catastrophe unfolded. Few would have thought back then that this combination of Leclerc and Ferrari would crumble as it did. Yet, Charles has garnered a lot of praise for his consistent performances on the track. Although, the wait for a maiden world championship is still on for the Monegasque. Regardless, former Scuderia driver Felipe Massa cited Leclerc in the same breath as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Massa stated how Charles has performed at a high level when the Ferrari car has been competitive enough. He compared the Monegasque driver’s exploits to what Max Verstappen has done for Red Bull and what Hamilton did for Mercedes.

Massa said, “Leclerc is one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 for me, a key man like Max Verstappen is in Red Bull and like Lewis Hamilton was for Mercedes.” The Brazilian also analyzed how Carlos Sainz may have difficulties matching Charles’s pace. While the Spaniard showed glimpses of being better than Leclerc last year, in a championship battle, he would bet on Charles.

Though, speaking about Leclerc’s match-up with Verstappen or Hamilton, it feels odd. Given how Max has proven his mettle by winning 2 world titles, Charles is yet to cross that bridge with currently having 0 world championships.

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The 2023 season may answer this question clearly with Charles Leclerc being competitive in a title fight or not. Nonetheless, Ferrari has a lot of business to take care of with their golden boy, Leclerc, besides the championship challenge. With a lack of consistent competitiveness, the Monegasque driver may start to look beyond the Scuderia, with his contract ending next year in 2024.

Does Charles Leclerc need to think beyond the Maranello post-2024?

Since the 2nd half of 2022, the future of Charles Leclerc has been a bone of contention. Some think he should look beyond Ferrari post-2024. Meanwhile, some also think that it is wise to bet on the Scuderia in the long term. But given Leclerc has tremendous talent to win a championship, Ferrari isn’t giving him the consistently competitive package to do so.

Thus, despite having a 5-year contract, Charles may not feel hugely benefitted. Naturally, when his peer Verstappen has already fulfilled his championship ambitions, he would think about when his time shall come. So, even the Monegasque may be thinking that perhaps some other team than Ferrari could be the one for him.

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Currently, Mercedes is a popular alternative option for Leclerc besides the Scuderia after 2024. Even Toto Wolff has cited that they may not hesitate to get Charles on board. While there is the Hamilton factor over at Brackley, the Silver Arrows manage to sort these things out. So unless Lewis is leaving, Mercedes may keep their hands off Leclerc.

Although, the new Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur ain’t looking to let the Monegasque go. Having a great bond with Leclerc, Vasseur has pointed out a game plan to retain Charles beyond 2024. While Fred’s attention is on this season, he will focus on Leclerc’s retention as well.

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2024 is still a year away. So Charles Leclerc may have time to think through his future. Of course, if he wins a championship this year, it is unlikely that he won’t re-sign with Ferrari. Though, on top of that, we could mention Leclerc at par with Verstappen and Hamilton without any doubt or hesitation.