The little Prince with the right stuff to the Big

If Charles Leclerc goes through the paddock, he draws the attention. His eyes carry a hint of melancholy, the short black hair sitting frizzy on the head, two dimples mark his cheeks. Dreamy he looks, the young man from Monaco who is just going to enchant the world of Motorsports . He, the Petit Prince of the formula 1. For Miraculous, it seems.

"He's a world champion, if he is sitting in the right car," said Beat Zehnder. He is a team Manager at Alfa Romeo, for a year, the Team from Hinwil in the Zürcher Oberland employer of the great talents of the Côte d'azur. "He is the biggest Surprise I've experienced in 25 years, he is so young, incredibly interested in a full. He has an insane ambition, is extremely meticulous."

Frédéric Vasseur is the head of the Swiss team, he was the in 2016 at ART Grand Prix and Leclerc already be a driver. The GP3 and won the youth at the time, in the following year the formula 2, it is the call of the king class came from the Sauber Team. Today, at 21, he is a Pilot in the Scuderia Ferrari.

There is a rise in three years, which may be the same to a maximum is not found – but. Vasseur says: "I have known Charles for many years. I know exactly how fast he is. But even more important is his Charisma and positive attitude."

Leclerc is more than a gifted race car driver. He is the "world champion material", says Zehnder, because he has gifts such as few in the dazzling field of riders.

"Self-confident, deep, modest, calm, professional"

"An anomaly," calls him Josef Leberer, the physiotherapist at Alfa Romeo. "He is a special, incredibly pleasant person. As he works, the things is approaching, and communicate the technical understanding, he has this capacity in the young: enormous." Sure of himself, he says, Leberer, "and on the other hand, deep-modest, quiet, professional and has a strong charisma".

Leclerc is made for big moments in the Sport, agreed almost all of them are in the paddock. However, currently, the Petit Prince is made the life difficult, he is only Prince, and the king another: Sebastian Vettel, 31, four-time world champion. In the fifth year now, put at Ferrari everything on the Germans, he should be destined for salvation, which would be enormous – and perhaps that is even an understatement: after 12 miserable years without a drivers ' title.

Kimi Raikkonen got the feel, the predecessor of Leclerc in the second red car. Leclerc can feel it now. Mattia Binotto, the team leader, had made the positions in his team before the season is clear. The Italians hold iron to it.

5 points he is behind Vettel – just 5 points

To kick off in Melbourne was Leclerc on the last laps faster than Vettel – he was given the pass. In China, the German stuck to his rear, Leclerc had to soft. The four-time world champion could not settle, the positions have been changed yet.

Three times, rank 5, even rank 3, rank 5 in the world Cup. The Leclerc's balance sheet is after 4 of 21 Grands Prix. Five points behind on his team-mates. Only five points. Although pretty much everything is running towards him, which may run against him. This was not only in Melbourne, and China.

In Bahrain, his first victory was ready – when his car began to stutter ten laps before the end, and rank 3 remained. Most recently, in Baku, he was the first contender for the pole position. He skidded into the wall, in the race, there was rank 5.

Leclerc currently have many reasons to lament and to mourn. But it would not suit him. Prior to the Grand Prix in Spain to race the today's launch of the Europe, sits Leclerc in the Motorhome of Ferrari. He says: "We are not alarmed. We have a weakness for a good car without any major. Mercedes shows strong performance, but we know that we can at least as good. We have made a few mistakes, but something like that happens in racing. We will not allow ourselves to get out of the rest."

But what happened on Saturday at the Circuit de Catalunya, where you at the winter tests, so large have trumps with their red cars, should you deal but fairly at Ferrari. They lost huge time on the Mercedes, Vettel will start today, as a third party. Leclerc, he had not only damaged as a Fifth, because in the case of a journey on the edge of the stones the floor of his car.

That he can also trouble, he proved once already

Perhaps the two must at least pass each other and the Team to make a next decision at the Command level. As Leclerc would respond to a new statement of the person responsible is questionable. Compared to the daily newspaper "Monaco Matin", he said recently: "I accept the team orders up to a certain point. But my Job is to be in the lead. Then there is the question of team orders arises in the first place."

Long is not accept Leclerc with the role as number 2. The decent young man can also trouble, he proved in Bahrain. He overtook Vettel, although he had been asked to wait. Charles Leclerc is not made for a supporting role.

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Created: 12.05.2019, 12:24 PM