Written by Jiya Mahapatra, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Arthur Leclerc made his Formula 1 free practice debut at Formula One’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, when he took over Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari SF24 during FP1, driving alongside his older brother Charles on the racetrack.
The Leclerc brothers made history, becoming the first brothers to take part in an F1 session as teammates.
Although it wasn’t a stellar result for the younger Leclerc, who finished the session 18th, it was certainly a notable achievement for their family and the Ferrari team as a whole, with the Tifosi excited to see more of the duo driving together in the future.
But, this brings along a tempting question: Will we ever see these two brothers driving in F1 at the same time?
On one hand, Arthur currently serves as a development driver for the Italian team, and was previously a member for the Ferrari Driver Academy until the end of last season, showing the team’s clear faith in his racing abilities.
Additionally, by giving him this chance in Abu Dhabi they are evidently trying to gauge his skills as a driver, either to keep him in mind for a vacant spot in the future or to promote him as an option for other teams.
Unfortunately, it didn’t appear to be Arthur’s best performance, but Ferrari’s renewed faith and continuity in him is a good sign. Even if he’s given more opportunities to grow and train, he could grow and avail bigger opportunities within motorsport.
It also does help that his brother is currently one of the most famous and highly regarded drivers in the world at the moment.
No matter how talented and skilled Arthur is on his own, perhaps he may always have an edge racing under the Leclerc name, especially considering how much his brother contributed to Ferrari's quest for greatness and championships.
On the other hand, his experience across junior series, including Formula 2, have not brought in the greatest results. Leclerc drove for DAMS Lucas Oil in F2 in 2023. After an unsuccessful season of missing out on points and DNFs, he ended up finishing 15th in the driver’s standings.
It is well known that F2 is vital in the development of an F1 career, with several F2 drivers signing contracts with F1 teams for 2025, including Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman and 2024 F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
It’s clear that F1 team principals and seniors consider F2 to be a reflection of a driver’s skills, and they often observe this championship as a place to scout for fresh talent.
Leclerc’s underwhelming performance put him out of the spotlight and the eyes of other F1 teams aside from Ferrari, potentially forming a barrier for his future career.
Arthur Leclerc’s future in motosports currently looks bleak, though it is far from stationary. This year, he joined the European Le Mans Series for Panis Racing, and was a part of the winning team at this year’s 4 Hours of Imola, underlining his efforts to find avenues to prove himself to the racing world.
In spite of his lack of positive results in 2023, Ferrari’s continued backing and faith remains a good sign.
Perhaps, if he gains more racing experience and training, we could be seeing both Charles and Arthur Leclerc battle alongside or against each other at some point in the future.
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