What if Leclerc had driven the Mercedes in 2023?

The simulation's verdict

Neither Charles Leclerc nor George Russell would have taken the 2023 title in this car (0% and 0%).

Based on 200 simulations of the 2023 season. Numbers can vary each time you play.

Historical context

Charles Leclerc has been linked to Mercedes on multiple occasions. In 2023 the W14 was the second best car. Had the Monegasque driven that Mercedes instead of his erratic Ferrari, could he have challenged Verstappen in the second half of the year?

The real 2023 season

The 2023 season is, in absolute numbers, the most dominant in Formula 1 history. The Red Bull RB19, another masterpiece of the Newey era, proved virtually unbeatable in any conditions and at any circuit. Max Verstappen took it to a superhuman level: he won nineteen of the twenty-two races of the year and strung together ten consecutive victories, an all-time record no one had achieved in more than seven decades of the championship. The title fight ceased to exist very early. The only crack in the red armour was opened by Carlos Sainz, who with Ferrari took the year's only non-Red Bull win in Singapore, the single weekend where Red Bull couldn't find its rhythm. It was Verstappen's third consecutive world title, and the definitive seal on an era of dominance.

Real champion: Max Verstappen in the Red Bull RB19. Verstappen achieves 10 consecutive wins — the absolute F1 record. See the full 2023 season →

The driver

How it's simulated

The engine recreates qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) and every Grand Prix with the ~20 real drivers of 2023, weighing each car's performance, driver skill, weather, safety cars and tyre wear. Learn how the simulator works →