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Charles Leclerc has enthralled one and all in just his first Formula One season. It had always seemed a given that the 20-year-old would attain a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport based on his single-seater credentials.
He has not just conquered the GP3 championship in 2016 and the F2 championship in 2017, but he has been a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) since 2016.
The Monégasque driver got a taste of driving a kart for the first time when he wasn’t even five years old. This is perhaps why, despite his young age, he has experience of winning junior formulae along with four FP1 practice sessions with Haas and Sauber apiece under his belt.
He has lived up to his hype, by putting on a good show in the six Grand Prix he has competed in so far.
It is not every day that a rookie gets praised by, not one but two, four-time world champions. While Sebastian Vettel claimed that the hype around Leclerc was justified, Lewis Hamilton was quick to praise the Sauber driver as talented. Let’s have a look at the top three reasons why Charles has impressed in his first Formula One season:-
#1 Sixth-place finish in the Azerbaijan GP
During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Leclerc became the second driver from Monaco to score points in Formula One.
He finished sixth, in a car which has failed to consistently finish in the top ten in recent years. He has qualified 14th during the weekend, making Q2 for the first time in his career.
The race started off chaotic, continuing the trend from last year, and all the 20-year-old had to do was stay calm and out of trouble.
After a flurry of pit stops, he managed to overtake Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz to ensure a strong points-scoring finish for his team.
While the cameras were focused on the front runners and the mayhem, Charles quickly swept up whatever was on offer and made a strong case for himself.
While Sauber finished their 2017 season at the bottom of the group with five championship points, they have already surpassed it by accumulating 11 points after only six races. The Monégasque driver is responsible for nine of those points.
#2 Qualifying into Q2 consistently
Leclerc seems to have made a habit of qualifying into Q2. He got a taste for it during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when he made it into the second round of qualifying and finished in 14th place. He repeated the remarkable result for Barcelona and his home race in Monaco.
He capitalized on his grid position by finishing a strong sixth in Baku and a tenth in Spain, but he failed to do so in Monaco due to a brake failure.
The rookie’s strong show in Monaco and Baku ensured that he was the third fastest qualifier with a Ferrari engine, trailing only the Ferrari of Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen.
#3 Outscoring teammate Marcus Ericsson
Being in his first season, even with the expectations that Leclerc carries on his shoulders, it wouldn’t have been odd to presume that the Monégasque driver would take some time to settle into the hubbub that is Formula One.
Some might have reckoned that he would take some time to find his footing. But the 20-year-old has shown that he can pass this test with flying colours.
Leclerc has been paired with Marcus Ericsson, a well-experienced driver who is now in his fifth season. However, the Monaco driver not only has a higher qualifying record (4-2) over his teammate, but he has also scored more points.
While the Swedish driver has scored two points and sits 17th place of the driver’s standings, Leclerc currently holds the 14th position.
It might be too early in Leclerc’s career to judge him, but he has shown signs of brilliance and is one to watch out for in the upcoming races, especially as he might warm the seat at Ferrari sometime in the future.
Will Leclerc continue his impressive run this season? Sound off in the comments section below!
