Ferrari Hero Charles Leclerc Has One Major Superpower – But How Close Is He to the Legendary Michael Schumacher?

The raw speed and talent that Charles Leclerc possesses is rarely talked about. His driving exceptionalism goes notably during qualification rounds where he displays an impressive pace. To date, he has acquired 23 pole positions in 123 starts. This pales in comparison to the legendary Michael Schumacher, who managed thrice this number. Nonetheless, Leclerc is not far behind Schumacher in terms of his percentage of leading positions.

A deeper analysis reveals that during Red Bull's reign of dominance in 2022, Leclerc secured the most pole positions, a total of nine. In spite of driving a relatively less competitive car, Leclerc holds the 14th spot among all pole leaders with 23 poles. When broken down, his pole positions put him between Fernando Alonso (22) and Nelson Piquet (24). However, in comparison to the highly successful Lewis Hamilton with 104 pole positions, Leclerc has some catching up to do.

That being said, when looking at drivers with at least 100 Grand Prix starts, Leclerc emerges as fifth in the ranking of greatest pole leaders in F1's history. He follows behind Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, and Ayrton Senna and is also behind Schumacher in the current generation of drivers. If Leclerc were presented with a more competitive car, his stats could improve significantly.

Despite a succession of poor luck combined with his car's shortcomings during races, Leclerc's potential to win titles is undeniable. He has consistently outdone his counterparts, even surpassing Sebastian Vettel's 2 poles in 2019 with his own 7. Over the last three years, he has amassed 16 poles, three times as many as his teammate Carlos Sainz.

What sets Michael Schumacher apart from Charles Leclerc? Ferrari has been striving to relive their golden days since Schumacher's prime. Their hopes hinge on the young and ambitious Leclerc. However, they have faced numerous obstacles in achieving this goal.

Comparing the two drivers is not an easy task, says former Ferrari engineer, Rob Smedley. He points out a crucial distinction: upon joining Ferrari, Schumacher was already a two-time champion. His previous championship-won experience benefitted Ferrari by guiding them towards success. Smedley observes that Leclerc lacks this benefit as he eagerly aims to secure a world title with Ferrari.

In Smedley's view, Ferrari's current drivers lack the necessary experience and understanding to win championships. Both Leclerc and Sainz experienced their first race wins after joining Ferrari. Having come from mid-field teams, leading Ferrari in a championship bout would be an entirely new experience for them.