As the 2024 F1 season wrapped up, Sky Sports F1’s annual driver rankings sparked a debate, with Karun Chandhok placing Charles Leclerc at P2, ahead of Lando Norris. Despite Norris being Max Verstappen’s primary title challenger and securing P2 in the standings, Chandhok argued that Leclerc’s performance deserved higher praise.On the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Chandhok justified his ranking by highlighting Leclerc’s ability to maximize the potential of a Ferrari car that was far less consistent than McLaren’s. While McLaren had one of the most dominant cars of the season, Ferrari’s SF-24 faced numerous challenges across various tracks. Yet, Leclerc managed to secure P3 in the standings, just 18 points shy of Norris, with an equal number of podiums (13) and wins (3).

Chandhok also emphasized Ferrari’s strategic improvements in 2024, noting that the team’s indecisiveness in previous seasons had drastically reduced. With a new race engineer and better strategy execution, Leclerc was able to extract impressive results from a car that didn’t always match its rivals.Despite having the fastest car on the grid, Norris’s season was riddled with errors. Poor starts from pole position and mistakes in key races such as Spain, Hungary, and Brazil cost him valuable points. McLaren’s occasional strategic blunders compounded the problem, leaving Norris unable to capitalize fully on his car’s potential.

While Norris’s victory in Abu Dhabi helped McLaren clinch the Constructors’ Championship, his inability to consistently deliver results left him falling short in the drivers’ title race against Verstappen.Chandhok’s ranking reflects a broader narrative: Leclerc’s ability to punch above his weight with an inconsistent car versus Norris’s underperformance with a superior one. Though Norris displayed moments of brilliance, his errors throughout the season painted a stark contrast to Leclerc’s resilience and consistency.Karun Chandhok’s assertion that 2024 was Leclerc’s best F1 season—and one worthy of ranking him above Norris—raises a compelling debate about talent, car performance, and maximizing potential. While Norris showed flashes of greatness, Leclerc’s consistency and adaptability cemented his status as one of the sport’s elite drivers in 2024.