‘Never Seen Before’: Ferrari Makes Historic Driver Swap At Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Fans at the Yas Marina Circuit witnessed a historic moment in Formula 1 this weekend as Ferrari fielded brothers Charles and Arthur Leclerc in FP1, marking the first time siblings have competed as teammates in an official F1 session.
While the day brought a personal triumph for the Leclerc family, it unfolded against a high-stakes weekend for Ferrari in its battle with McLaren for first place in the 2024 constructors’ championship. After all, the constructors championship is how the teams make their money.
Charles Leclerc’s younger brother Arthur Leclerc stepped into Carlos Sainz’s car for Ferrari’s final rookie outing of the season, making the session an emotional one for the Monegasque star.
Arthur and Charles during pitlane walk.
The occasion quickly became a scramble as Charles’ car suffered a battery issue just before the FP1 session. Leclerc finally emerged on track with just over 30 minutes remaining to make history happen.
Two brothers on the track simultaneously during an official session with the same team.
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The Leclerc brothers join a select group of F1 siblings who have made their mark on the sport. The Schumacher brothers, Michael and Ralf, famously raced against each other from 1997 to 2006, amassing multiple podiums and victories between them. While their battles were often intense, the two never raced as teammates, making the Leclercs’ Abu Dhabi achievement truly unique.
Ralph and Michael Schumacher on the podium in Brazil.
Despite the delay, Charles topped the timesheets, showing Ferrari has what it takes to take the championship from McLaren. The team later reported that the new battery was his third of the season—breaching the FIA’s allowance of two per car and earning him a costly 10-place grid penalty.
This setback compounded an already difficult weekend for Charles, who was battling a bout of food poisoning, believed to have been contracted at Lewis Hamilton’s end-of-year dinner. Leclerc’s condition added another layer of adversity to Ferrari’s slim hopes of overcoming its 21-point deficit to McLaren in the constructors’ championship.
Lewis’ now famous end-of-season dinner. Class of 2024.
To close the gap, Ferrari realistically needs a one-two finish on Sunday. The last coming at the United States Grand Prix, Charles led Carlos home.
By FP2, however, McLaren appeared firmly in control, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locking out the top two spots on the timesheets.
Arthur Leclerc and Charles Leclerc in Ferrari uniforms.
“The McLaren seems to be quicker, unfortunately,” Leclerc admitted. “For now, they have the upper hand, but we know that it can swing one way or the other very quickly.”
As Ferrari heads into the season’s final days, the Leclerc brothers’ shared moment in FP1 stands as a rare bright spot amid a play-for-everything weekend. Let’s see whether we ever see Arthur Leclerc back in a full-time F1 drive, unlikely ever to be beside his brother as a teammate. Then again, this is F1, and anything can happen.
This weekend also caps off Lewis Hamilton’s final race for Mercedes. A partnership that saw him win six (some say seven) driver’s championships has been nothing short of amazing. It will really be an end of an era and a trip when we see him in Ferrari colours next year.
