Just two years ago Charles Leclerc was quite often untroubled as he chilled around in the support event paddock while those in the bigger circus kept a watchful eye on a humble teenager in the Ferrari junior team kit. Roll forward to the present day and he has been confirmed as a Ferrari Formula 1 driver for 2019. It has been quite the ascent.
Leclerc was a star in karting, an adversary of Max Verstappen, and eye-catching runs in the initial single-seater steps brought him to the attention of Ferrari, who signed him to its academy.
Leclerc rose from Formula 3 to GP3 for 2016 with the crack ART squad and immediately impressed with his pace and racecraft, though a few sketchy moments under pressure, and issues at flip-flopping between GP3 and F1 practice runs, was an indicator that he was not quite ready.
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A step up to the family-run Prema squad in Formula 2 allowed Leclerc to flourish and he cantered to the crown with a series of emphatically dominant displays and several other stunning moments (there are too many to list), all the while conducting himself with humility, almost embarrassed that so many people were paying attention. And he did so in the most difficult of circumstances amid the death in June of his father, Hervé. His response to such a loss, both on- and off-track, earned him immeasurable admiration.
Leclerc’s Formula 2 success meant he simply had to be on the 2018 grid and a seat with the Sauber squad was surely the ideal combination – a young driver and a team with renewed confidence and funding searching its way back from a very low ebb.
Leclerc was justifiably keen to play down expectations amid a greater spotlight and level of attention than he had ever previously experienced, as journalists crammed into Sauber’s rudimentary hospitality tent during the chilly evenings in pre-season testing. That caution proved justified through a difficult opening trio of races, which featured a few mistakes in qualifying and a spin during the Chinese Grand Prix that led to the realisation that he had to be more reliant on the team for guidance. A change in set-up and style in Azerbaijan proved pivotal, since when Leclerc has largely flourished, assisted by the usually well-balanced and strongly-developed C37. That unexpected sixth-placed finish around Baku’s streets has remained the high point results wise, but it is the consistency of impressive displays thereafter that has been encouraging for Leclerc’s development.
Leclerc made Q2 at four successive events – in which time his Q1 lap on home ground in Monaco was mighty impressive – before making the step to Q3 in France. Two further Q3 appearances followed in Britain and Germany.
In race trim Leclerc has looked largely comfortable in the throng of the midfield group of drivers, kept calm under pressure from Fernando Alonso in Spain, and managed to pick up points in Canada, France and Austria. He should have scored heavily to cap a strong Silverstone weekend until a botched pit stop.
Off-track he has remained down-to-earth (again, as with so many of his contemporaries), conducting himself with humility while regularly looking for both personal and team improvements even after some strong results. On more than one occasion he has had a good result, sat down and begun with a smile and also a 'yeah but…', looking for the area where more can be unlocked. He has greeted the consistent quizzing on his Ferrari role and future hopes with maturity (and a knowing smile) and labelled it “crazy” that several luminaries of the sport, such as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, had praised his ability.
There have, of course, been setbacks. Ignoring the opening trio of events, Leclerc made a mistake in France, incorrectly gambled on the wrong tyres in Germany, and messed up his approach to the changeable weather conditions during qualifying in Hungary. Those errors are all part of the learning process of being a rookie with a low-status team – which is what makes Leclerc’s graduation to Ferrari a risk for both parties. Any mistakes will be scrutinised 10 times harder next year and for Ferrari it is a gamble to take a relatively inexperienced driver when it harbours title ambitions. Conversely, it is refreshingly bold from a team that has, at times, been chronically safe.
Leclerc has proven himself rapid in all machinery he has driven, has a long-term future with Ferrari, and is an extremely marketable asset (albeit not yet on the level of the incredibly popular driver whose seat he has taken). There is also, of course, the fact that Leclerc has secured the graduation many expected his mentor and godfather Jules Bianchi to eventually capture, before the cruel hand of fate intervened on that dark day in Japan four years ago.
The fascinating dynamic will come in the relationship between four-time champion Vettel – ostensibly the current team leader – and the young Leclerc. Vettel has previously been keen to talk up Leclerc’s ability both on-track and in the simulator, but now he will be paired with a driver who has been touted as Ferrari’s future. The undertone, of course, being that Vettel is not. And this is a new era, with new people at Ferrari’s helm. Removing Raikkonen removes a level of comfort for Vettel, who has had the apolitical Finn as a buffer across the past four years. Vettel could still win this year’s title but the number of crucial mistakes through the past two seasons has been alarming, and it will be intriguing to see how he responds to Leclerc both on and off-track in the coming months and year.
This is a justifiable gamble for Ferrari, a huge opportunity at a young age for Leclerc, and surely fresh motivation for Vettel as he chases his desired fifth title. It will be box office…
