Superb qualifying, setbacks in races
Charles Leclerc has proven himself over the years as one of the best qualifiers in F1 history. The numbers speak for themselves: despite rarely having the best car on the grid, the Ferrari driver has recorded 26 pole positions in 147 races. Since his F1 debut at the 2018 Australian GP, only Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have achieved more poles than the Maranello #16.
However, alongside this positive statistic is a downside: Charles Leclerc is statistically one of the worst drivers in history at converting pole positions into victories. Of the Monegasque’s 26 poles, 21 (80.7%) did not result in a win under the checkered flag. Among drivers with at least 10 career poles, only René Arnoux (88.8%) and David Coulthard (83.3%) have worse percentages.
A conversion to improve
Of course, numbers don’t tell the whole story: often, Leclerc has started at the front without a real chance of holding onto the lead due to the car’s insufficient competitiveness. A clear example is the three pole positions in 2021. Nonetheless, Charles Leclerc does show some issues in terms of conversion: even in 2024, only one of his three poles resulted in a win, that being Monaco. At Spa and Baku, despite starting first, he finished third and second, respectively.
If Ferrari confirms its title-contending potential in 2025, Charles Leclerc will need to improve in this area to withstand the pressure from Lewis Hamilton. The impression is that Charles Leclerc could be more competitive than the seven-time world champion in qualifying. Enhancing his conversion rate during races when starting from pole will be a critical step toward securing his first world title.
