Has Leclerc got the ability to ever be consistent?

By Tammi Fairbairn

Critics are quick to assume that Charles Leclerc will never be a World Champion. Is this perception due to his inconsistency, or is Ferrari the real issue?

There are two main criticisms people make of Leclerc regarding his F1 career: his consistency of raw performance and his consistency of results.

Raw performance:
Compared to his days at Alpha Romeo, Leclerc has become much more consistent over the past few seasons. Back then, he would have a strong race one weekend, only to make a costly mistake the next.

Now, his qualifying pace and race craft have significantly improved and matured. The errors he once made are now quite rare, and he is considered to be one of the fastest drivers.

Results consistency:
This is where Leclerc’s challenges become more evident. The 2025 season was an exceptional year for Leclerc. The Monegasque was on the podium step almost every race and eventually won his home race that year too. However, maintaining that level of performance level has not always been present.

Ferrari is notorious for its strategic errors, and Leclerc has fallen victim to that on several occasions. A notable instance was when his home race win was compromised by Ferrari pitting him when unnecessarily. Additionally, the Italian team have struggled to provide a competitive car in recent years. Red Bull, McLaren, and now Mercedes have pipped Ferrari to the top spot for the quickest car amongst all the tracks on the calendar.

The 2026 season has seen the Silver Arrows dominate, but the Barcelona GP saw the comeback for Ferrari. However, it was not Leclerc on that top step; it was Sir Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc could have had pole in qualifying, but he lost control and went into the barrier. His mistake cost him a potential podium finish. In 2025, Leclerc proved to be the number one driver as he surpassed the seven-time world champion with more than 200 points in the driver standings. Yet, 2026 sees Hamilton proving his ability to shine. 

The lingering question remains: can Leclerc achieve consistency? He possesses the ability, but it is whether he can sustain a championship-level campaign over an entire season against someone like Kimi Antonelli, who is proving to be unstoppable at the moment. Former champions like Hamilton and Verstappen have demonstrated the need to score heavily every weekend despite not being the fastest. That could be the crucial step for Leclerc – be consistent even on imperfect weekends. The Monegasque has just signed a two-year contract extension with Ferrari, so it is clear he has the belief in Ferrari to provide a championship for him.