If 2024 was a year when Ferrari made it clear exactly how much Charles Leclerc means to the team – signing him to a new contract and leaving Carlos Sainz exposed when Lewis Hamilton became available – then he too showed how much the Prancing Horse means to him.
The disappointment at Ferrari of losing the constructors’ battle to McLaren in Abu Dhabi on a day when Leclerc had risen from 19th on the grid to third – surely one of his most impressive F1 drives – was etched on his face in the paddock post-race.
