Charles Leclerc has a realistic shot at defeating Max Verstappen for the 2024 F1 title

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari could find themselves in title contention against Max Verstappen this season.

Charles Leclerc has a realistic shot at defeating Max Verstappen for the 2024 F1 title

Charles Leclerc [L] Max Verstappen [R] (images via IMAGO)

Heading into the 2024 F1 season, Max Verstappen was regarded as the favorite for the world title. The Dutch driver has won three consecutive drivers’ championships. With Red Bull bagging two teams’ titles. However, it seems that Verstappen could face a real threat from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc this season.

Scuderia Ferrari has been Red Bull’s closest rival in the ground-effect era. Despite McLaren’s recent rise, Maranello is the most consistent team apart from Milton Keynes. Carlos Sainz took the team’s first victory of the season in Australia with Charles Leclerc finally winning his home race in Monaco.

Leclerc showed incredible pace in the streets of Monte Carlo last weekend. The 26-year-old controlled the entire race after starting from pole position. The Scuderia seems to be right behind Red Bull in terms of pure pace. With Ferrari working on a constant flow of upgrades, it seems that Charles Leclerc has a realistic shot at defeating Max Verstappen for the 2024 F1 title.

2024 F1 title could be anyone’s game with 16 races to go

The 2024 F1 season has the longest calendar in the history of the sport with a whopping 24 races. After the first eight rounds, Max Verstappen leads Charles Leclerc in the standings by 31 points. The Monegasque driver has claimed that it is too early to think about the championship. However, Leclerc and Ferrari might be on course to an exciting title fight.

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (Via IMAGO)

Red Bull seems to no longer have the edge to dominate race weekends entirely. Ever since the Lando Norris’ Miami GP victory, Max Verstappen has struggled to outpace the competition. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc has maintained a consistent run on-track, slowly reducing his points gap to the championship leader.

Lando Norris and McLaren could be a threat to Leclerc in the coming races. However, it is likely that Fred Vasseur‘s squad will gain the upper hand against the Woking-based team and be the real title contender. 16 races are left in 2024, providing ample opportunity for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari to further solidify their position with upgrades. If Max Verstappen sustains another technical failure, Leclerc would be just a handful of points behind the Dutchman.

Charles Leclerc would be aiming to continue his successful run this season. In the coming races, the Monegasque must focus on defeating Verstappen. If Red Bull’s struggles persist in the upcoming weekends, Leclerc could find itself at the top of the standings by mid-season. Although, the Monegasque driver would need to fend off teammate Carlos Sainz to accomplish such a feat.

Certainly, fans would be thrilled to witness a real battle for the 2024 world title. Max Verstappen is a hard racer who would push himself to the limit to defend his title. However, Charles Leclerc would need to face the pressure of having a real shot at winning the F1 world championship for the first time in his career. As such, Verstappen would remain the favorite in this fight. Nevertheless, Leclerc and Ferrari will have nothing to lose against the reigning world champion.

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