The top 10 F1 drivers of the 2020 season: 5 - CHARLES LECLERC

Having underlined his star qualities in 2019, Leclerc followed up on a fantastic debut season with Ferrari by arguably turning in an even more impressive season, despite the team’s woeful lack of competitiveness.

Leclerc consistently dragged the maximum out of his painfully slow SF1000 car and provided Ferrari with some highlights in what was otherwise a nightmarish season it will want to forget in a hurry.

Single-handedly, Leclerc’s consistency and starring performances helped Ferrari avoid a total disaster of a campaign by lifting it up to sixth place in the constructors’ championship by the season’s end - still its worst result since 1980.

SEE ALSO: The top 10 F1 drivers of 2020: 6 - PIERRE GASLY 

The Monegasque showed why Ferrari was right to back him over Sebastian Vettel as he completely obliterated his four-time world champion teammate, who endured a torrid season in comparison in the sister car.

Two unlikely podium finishes in Austria and Silverstone were the obvious standouts of Leclerc’s season, but his qualifying form was also supreme as he notched up nine Q3 appearances and managed a best result of fourth place as he took Ferrari’s 2020 car to places it probably shouldn't have been. His Saturday displays at Silverstone, the Nurburgring, Portugal and Sakhir were particularly impressive. 

The only blotch on Leclerc’s stellar season were the amount of errors that were made, most notably a string of first-lap crashes in Austria, Sochi and Bahrain which slightly blemished his 2020.

Providing Leclerc can iron out these rookie-esque tendencies by the time Ferrari’s fortunes improve, he will undoubtedly be right up there battling for wins and world championships.

Come back tomorrow to find out which driver ranked at number four…