This archive report was first published on 29 December 2019.
Charles Leclerc's 2019 Formula One season was a defining moment for the young driver and Ferrari's management. When Leclerc joined Ferrari for the 2019 season, he was expected to play second fiddle to four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. However, Leclerc had other plans.
Leclerc's impressive performance in the 2019 season was a result of his hard work and dedication to the sport. His father, Herve Leclerc, played a significant role in setting him up for a motorsport career, introducing him to the sport at a young age. Leclerc went on to shine in karting, GP3, and Formula 2, eventually graduating from Ferrari's Drivers' Academy.
At the season's opening race in Australia, Leclerc finished fifth, 1.1 seconds behind Vettel. However, he quickly made his intentions clear at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he got pole ahead of his teammate and went on to secure his first podium finish.
Leclerc's consistency and raw pace proved to be a game-changer for Ferrari's management. He went on to win his first Formula One race at the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing fourth in the drivers' standings, 14 points behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen. If Leclerc had won the Bahrain Grand Prix, finished in the top five at his home race in Monaco, and finished fourth in Brazil, there's no doubt that he would have finished the season ahead of Verstappen.
Leclerc's impressive performance in the 2019 season forced Ferrari's management to reevaluate their strategy and give the young driver more freedom to perform. His seven poles in the season, the most by anyone in 2019, convinced Ferrari that they were getting things right in the bid to catch up with Mercedes.
