'Leclerc is currently in his Verstappen 2016-2020 era'

Charles Leclerc's bumper five-year contract extension that hesigned in 2020 expires at the end of the next Formula 1 season -and he does not have an awful lot to show for it. When theMonegasque agreed terms on that five-year contract extension, itraised eyebrows as extensions of such a length were rare in F1. Tolock yourself to one team for so long, based off limited success,was a risk. And as he enters the final year of that contract in2024, Leclerc has not experienced the glory he expects, the Tifosidesires and Ferrari demands. Instead, he is coming off a thirdwinless season in five at Ferrari with the team taking major stepsbackwards in 2023, slipping to third in the Constructors.' Butdespite finishing fifth in the 2023 standings, three places and 102points worse off than he did 12 months ago, Ferrari finds itself ina far stronger position - and Leclerc in a similar position to MaxVerstappen during the Lewis Hamilton Mercedes heyday of 2016-2020.Ferrari on stable platform Firstly, this time last year, Ferrariwas busy searching for a replacement for Mattia Binotto after theItalian paid the price for the implosion of the 2022 title chargeafter repeated strategic, reliability and operational failuresthroughout the season. Changing a team principal will always haveunintended consequences, with Leclerc and Binotto's relationshipdeteriorating throughout the season, but a trusted Leclerclieutenant was brought in: Frederic Vasseur. At times throughout2022, it felt as if Ferrari lacked a racer's instinct on thepit-wall, putting too much faith in computers or simply nottrusting themselves to make the correct calls. Vasseur is a pureracer. These mistakes were far less prevalent in 2023 as Vasseurslowly moulded Ferrari into his image, and in a boost, thetechnical team is remaining in place over the winter into 2024. Youonly need to look to Red Bull for the benefits of a stabletechnical structure and to Mercedes for what can happen when youlose one. The team has also abandoned its bathtub sidepod designfor the Red Bull-esque downwash concept, and will be able to sculptthe 2024 car around it rather than a bodge-job to make the 2023 carfit as the team tried with its Spanish Grand Prix upgrade. Granted,it might be two years behind Red Bull in understanding theparticulars of the concept, but at least the Scuderia will now befollowing what has clearly become the concept that brings mostperformance with it. But what about Max Verstappen? Now, at thispoint, you're probably wondering where the comparison withVerstappen comes in. During the Hamilton era, Verstappen was oftenleft fighting for the odd podium, a pole position here and thereand made a whole catalogue of mistakes - especially at the start ofthe 2018 season. In Australia he spun during the race, in Bahrainhe collided with Hamilton, and the same with Sebastian Vettel inChina. In Azerbaijan, Verstappen was at fault for causing thecollision with Daniel Ricciardo that took both Red Bulls out whilehe collided with Lance Stroll under the VSC in Spain, damaging thefront-wing. To cap off this rotten run of form, he crashed inpractice in Monaco on Saturday morning, leaving Ricciardo free todominate the weekend and leaving Verstappen with the thoughts ofwhat might have been. Verstappen was over-driving the car and areset in Canada was the start of the stunning form he had carriedto this day. As for Leclerc, he too has been guilty of trying todrive the car he wants under him rather than the one that actuallyis. There are still too many crashes, especially in qualifying suchas in Miami, but the #16 is in the best place to make thosemistakes. Would you rather a heavy crash when fighting for fourthin the World Championship and then learning from that mistake ordoing so in the white-hot environment of a title battle againstVerstappen and maybe Hamilton if Mercedes gets its act together in2024...