Will Ferrari give Leclerc a car to challenge for the 2024 F1 title?

Can Ferrari engineer the car that will allow him to take full advantage in 2024?

Qualifying, meanwhile, is simply a test of speed – there are fewer competitive edges to be found here, with the fastest driver on the day winning out.

So while Max Verstappen and Red Bull continue to dominate on race day, it’s notable that the spread of drivers on pole during the 2023 season was much more diverse – the Dutchman’s skill, the reliability of his RB19 car and the guile of his team of engineers less of a driving force, if you’ll pardon the pun.

With a Ferrari SF-23 that was picky where it would be fast, Leclerc racked up five P1 starts, more than double any other driver was able to do barring Verstappen who bagged a dozen.

Those that are interested in sports betting online may already think the 2024 F1 season is a foregone conclusion given Verstappen’s odds of 1.30 to clinch a fourth consecutive title – the likes of Lewis Hamilton (12.00) and Leclerc (30.00) evidently with work to do to catch the Red Bull flyer.

But if you look at the identity of those that won pole during 2023 – and those performances were mirrored on race day, then the outcome of the title race would have been much closer. Verstappen still led the way with 12, but there was more joy for Leclerc (five) and his Ferrari colleague Carlos Sainz Jr (two).

The Monegasque driver also took pole nine times in 2022, so while these are very small crumbs of comfort for F1 fans dreaming of a more competitive battle on race day, it’s worth noting that – on his day – Leclerc and Ferrari are quite capable of outpacing Verstappen.

For 2024, much will depend on the next generation Red Bull car – their RB19 has been described by many esteemed judges as the fastest car in F1 history.

So can Ferrari find a way to match Red Bull over 50+ laps?

The 2023 campaign was the first with Frederic Vasseur in the team principal role.

The Frenchman has built a quietly impressive CV with Renault and Sauber, while his long-standing association with Leclerc – they won GP3 together in 2016, before joining forces once more at Sauber – will perhaps prove vital in stopping the 26-year-old from seeking employment elsewhere.

The first item on the to-do list is to change up Ferrari’s 2024 vehicle so that it allows Leclerc to make the most of his undoubted ability. He has spoken of a in the SF-23 model – ‘I had to deal with quite a bit of understeer just to have a bit less unpredictable moments, which doesn't really fit my driving style’ – he reflected last season, which will presumably be ironed out in readiness for the new term.

Vasseur and his chief engineers, such as Enrico Cardile, have now had the best part of a year to figure out the problems afflicting Ferrari’s build. If that learning curve enables them to construct a car for 2024 that is more aligned with Leclerc’s specifications, Red Bull may well have a tougher battle on their hands.