F1 News
Leclerc satisfied with 2024: 'Could improve in that regard'
While Charles Leclerc was not involved in the title battle against Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, and Ferrari eventually missed out on the constructors' championship as well, a dream did come true for the driver in the 2024. The Monegasque reviewed his year, explaining that he is satisfied with the results.
Involved in many interesting battles on track, Charles Leclerc could only enjoy the 2024 Formula One season. "I always enjoy wheel to wheel [battles]. I think it's always a very exciting moment of the weekend where you've got to adapt to different drivers and of course you get to know drivers and you adapt your driving style to it as well. And obviously when lots is at stake it's where you can also take more risk and that's where I enjoy the most," the Ferrari driver who finished third in the standings began to GPblog among others about fighting hard against his rivals on track.
"For example with Oscar [Piastri, in Qatar] obviously there was a bit more risk taken just because I know that it was very important for us to be taking as many points as possible to them. There's also this part of the story that at the beginning of the year maybe you have a big place but at the end of the year when you are fighting with one clear target, you can afford to be a bit more on the aggressive side which I enjoy," continued the Ferrari driver.
Leclerc 'satisfied' with 2024
Leclerc could finish third in the individual, and second with Ferrari in the constructors' standings. Still, for a different reason, the Monegasque driver does not believe his team could not maximise their results given what was available to them with the SF-24.
"Then looking back at the season, I think the season has been very solid from the whole team. I think there's the performance of the car which we weren't at the level where we wanted to be especially for the first half of the season. The second half we were more in line with McLaren and Red Bull. But as a driver, I feel like looking back at this year, there hasn't really been any missed opportunities."
Leclerc explains that no weekends cause him nightmares in 2024. "In the other years, when I look back, there was always one or two races where I wanted to do things that were not possible and because of that it was biting me. And that would mean that I would get zero points in the game where I could have come out with ten or eight points. That's not much but at the end when you add these things up it makes a difference. And on a year like this I don't think I've left any opportunities behind. And that is why I'm satisfied with the season."
The 'dream' came true
After having especially bad luck at his home weekend, nothing could stop Leclerc at the Monaco GP this season. The Ferrari driver started from pole position, and could secure the victory against Oscar Piastri. That race also marks his favourite moment, of course.
"If I had only to choose one, it will be Monaco. Monaco for me was very special obviously being my home race. I've always grown up dreaming of being a Formula One driver and being able to race in Monaco one day, and then once you're in Formula One you only dream about winning it, which happened this year. And I think the fact that for two three years in a row, it was very close, but we never managed to actually have the final results made this year even more special."
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