Charles Leclerc believes resisting the urge to attempt things “that were not possible” inspired him to maximise more chances than in past Formula 1 seasons in 2024.
Leclerc’s seventh campaign in F1 constituted his most productive to date as three victories and 13 podiums saw him amass a career-best 356 points to wind up third.
The Monegasque proved to be a consistent presence at the sharp end as 21 top-five race finishes was a figure that even F1 champion Max Verstappen couldn’t equal.
However, Leclerc’s exploits weren’t rewarded as Ferrari’s mid-season slump meant it ended up 14 points short of beating McLaren to the Constructors’ Championship.
But although Ferrari’s protracted title drought dating back to 2008 has extended into next term, Leclerc was satisfied with how his own individual season materialised.
Leclerc had gained a reputation as being susceptible to incidents when overdriving in the bid to compensate for Ferrari not having the pace of its rivals led to crashes.
Such occasions were kept to a minimum in 2024, though, with Leclerc pinpointing how past experiences have taught him it is better to accept the best result possible.
“Looking back at the season, I think the season has been very solid from the whole team,” Leclerc told media including Motorsport Week.
“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.
“As a driver, I feel like looking back at this year, there hasn’t been really any missed opportunities.
“Which in the other years, when I look back, there was always one or two races where there was an exceed of… I wanted to do things that were not possible.
“And by that, it was biting me. That would mean that I would get zero points in the weekend I would have 10 or eight points.
“Even if that’s not much, at the end, when you add these things up, it makes a difference.
“On a year like this, I don’t think I’ve left any opportunities behind. That is why I’m satisfied with the season.”
Leclerc relishes wheel-to-wheel battles
Leclerc also received plaudits late in the season for his conduct in racing combat as he prevailed in hard but fair duels with Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri in Qatar.
“I always enjoy wheel-to-wheel [racing],” he added. “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.
“When lots is at stake, it’s where you can take also more risk. And that’s where I enjoy the most.
“For example, with Oscar [Piastri] last week [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 [McLaren].
“So, there’s also this part of the story that at the beginning of the year, maybe you have a bit less.
“But at the end of the year, when you’re fighting with one clear target, you can afford to be a bit more on the aggressive side, which I enjoy.”
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