Charles Leclerc still Ferrari’s main man

IS there egg on our face? Yeah, probably, there is we have to admit.

Two weeks ago on these pages we all but penned Sebastian Vettel’s career obituary after the Italian Grand Prix. Well guess what happened? In the very next race the German was flawless as he claimed his first win in over a year at the Singapore Grand Prix. Go figure.

So do we need to fall on our sword while declaring mea cupla, mea cupla, mea maxima culpa? Not so fast. As good as Vettel was – and he was good, the way he cut through traffic at the midway point of the race was seriously impressive – this is a victory he owed to a very large dollop of luck.

Vettel was still out-qualified by his less experienced team-mate. As a matter of fact Charles Leclerc was phenomenally good on Saturday afternoon in qualifying on pole, two places ahead of the German. On the ragged edge, inches from the barriers on a couple of occasions, the Monegasque pushed himself and the car to the limit and beyond.

Leclerc started the race at the front and maintained his position there all the way to the first (and only) round of pit-stops. He had done everything the team asked of him. He had done everything right, controlling the race pace, but Vettel was allowed to undercut him by coming in a lap earlier for fresh boots.

On new tyres Vettel set a blistering pace and jumped his young team mate, much to young Charles’ surprise and chagrin. It was cruel fate on Leclerc with Ferrari not expecting the off-set between tyres to be quite so powerful. Leclerc was the quicker man, the guy who should really have won the race, this time the breaks were just against him.

For Vettel it was evidence for what he can do when things are going his way. It wasn’t a chance he necessarily deserved, he lucked into it in a way, but once in a winning position he was the commanding figure of old.

Does this mean he’s back? Perhaps, perhaps not. Probably not in fact. When you break it down Leclerc was still the quicker driver. He still looks Ferrari’s most likely next champion. He’s still the future of the Scuderia.