Charles Leclerc Extends 15 Year Maranello Drought As Ferrari Fans Mourn What Could Have Been

As Max Verstappen clinched his 2nd title this past Sunday, the wait for Ferrari’s next driver’s title extended to 15 years since it was last Kimi Raikkonen to lift the WDC title in their red firesuit. However, the Prancing Horse has come close on multiple occasions since then. A post shared on Reddit depicted 6 times the Ferrari drivers missed out on the championship.

Ferrari could have won the very next championship after Kimi Raikkonen‘s triumph in 2007. In fact, Felipe Massa was the champion when he crossed the finish line. However, the moment of happiness soon turned into heartbreak. Lewis Hamilton overtook Timo Glock in the final corner of the Brazilian GP to become the champion.

A Ferrari driver came close to winning the championship again. Not once, but twice. Fernando Alonso came ever so close to adding to his existing 2 World championships. Alonso went in the final race of the 2010 season ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the standings.

The championship looked certain for Alonso and Ferrari. However, a faulty pit-stop call meant Alonso was left chasing the gearbox of Vitaly Petrov’s Renault for 40-odd laps. Alonso lost the race, as well as the title to Vettel.

Similarly, in 2012, Alonso went into the last race of the season trailing by 13 points. He got the perfect start in the Brazilian GP when Vettel crashed in the first lap and a slow pit stop further threatened his title. However, Vettel fought back to finish in 6th position, courtesy of a little help from Michael Schumacher.

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Vettel won the championship behind the safety car by a meager 3 points, extending Ferrari’s run of championship drought to 5 seasons. Alonso left the Maranello team and joined McLaren.

Ferrari Fightback with Sebastian Vettel

In 2017, for the first time since 2012, a team saw a genuine title battle in five years. Nico Rosberg retired after winning the 2016 title and Lewis Hamilton was the firm favorite to win the championship. However, Vettel and Ferrari had other plans.

Ferrari started the season strongly, with Vettel leading the championship for the first 12 out of 20 races. However, his lead was never more than 25 points, which allowed Hamilton and Mercedes to catch up. Post-summer break, Ferrari lost the plot with their plan, as Seb won just 1 out of the last 9 races. Hamilton ultimately bagged his 4th title.

The following 2018 season saw two four-time champions go head to head in a bid to win their 5th title. However, Lewis and Mercedes proved to be too strong for Seb and Ferrari. Hamilton won the title, finishing 88 points ahead of Vettel. Ferrari’s winless run of not winning the championship continued for the 11th straight year.

A new dawn with Charles Leclerc

A change in F1 rules and technical regulations for 2022 saw Ferrari emerge with a powerful car, with 2 brilliant drivers. They won 2 out of the first 3 races and went to the summer break in a strong position against Red Bull and Max Verstappen. However, mistakes and wrong strategic calls left them way behind Red Bull.

READ MORE: Despite the Odds, Max Verstappen’s Mother Didn’t Expect Championship Victory at Suzuka

Charles Leclerc has taken 9 pole positions in the season so far, revealing massive potential of the F1-75. With Max Verstappen clinching the title in Japan, Ferrari will be looking to fight back next season and end their winning run of 15 years without a title. Furthermore, they will hope to bring back the Constructor’s Title as well.

Fans react to another year without a title for a Ferrari driver

Fans were left frustrated after Ferrari failed to capitalize on a potential title run. With a car that challenged the RB-18 on multiple occasions, Ferrari just couldn’t find the winning formula. Here’s what their fans had to say about their team.

Another season comes to an end without a Ferrari driver standing on the top of the championship podium. The hurt and agony for the Ferrari fans continue. So can Ferrari turn it all around and win the championship next year?