Charles Leclerc has admitted that the Italian GP and the wild parties that followed surpassed his childhood dreams all, with Ferrari’s new hero hailed as a’national treasure’ after his stunning victory.
Leclerc was roared on during his epic drive at Ferrari’s home race and, after a huge twist of emotion upon the chequered flag, that the 21-year-old was greeted by a sea of crimson and the renowned Tifosi as he stepped to the podium since the Scuderia’s first Monza race-winner since 2010.
A self-proclaimed Ferrari enthusiast from the age of five, leclerc, grew up dreaming of races in crimson – but nothing really prepared him for it.
“It has gone past all of the dreams I had as a youngster,” said Leclerc. “To view all of the folks for a single team, singing altogether – it is wonderful.
“I have never been around a podium with all these people under it and to see that the whole straight was filled with people – 99 per cent red – it was great to see. Hearing them singing… there was only a lot of emotions.”
Leclerc has been heralded as a future world champion after his Monza masterclass, with the child since then, and Lewis Hamilton Valtteri Bottas, threw everything to get past withstanding a Mercedes barrage.
Even Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted:”Ferrari have an impending good.”
Leclerc admitted his defence against Hamilton was”very about the limit”, but also that he’d do anything to never let this opportunity pass. A Ferrari driver in addition to the podium in front of the Tifosi is just one of F1’s great scenes, and Leclerc understandably found it hard to remain concentrated in the final stages of this race.
“Over the last two laps I started to find in the grandstand that there was quite a great deal of agitation, which each one of the fans were still jumping,” he said.
“So yeah, I had been telling myself’quit taking a look at the grandstand, examine the trail, focus on what you are doing as a driver and after that you can enjoy whatever there is outside.’
“But it was quite difficult to remain focused on driving, seeing how much movement there was in the grandstand.”
Leclerc added to Sky F1:”It is the first time in my career I actually examine the grandstand while driving, that is generally not so great but I simply had no choice.
“They were just jumping and cheering all race , it was amazing to see. Merely to triumph here feels very, very unique.”
Leclerc’s Ferrari success did not only earn praise from fans, drivers and team bosses – but from the papers on Monday of Italy.
He was heralded by la Gazzetta dello Sport as a’national treasure’.
Corriere dello Sport crowned’king’ Leclerc, while also claiming the Leclerc era had begun.
Leclerc became the second-youngest motorist in Ferrari’s history when he combined this year after a dazzling rookie season in F1 and stated wins like Monza showed he was”more prepared than some folks thought”.
“It’s been an easy start to the summer, there has been some mistakes,” he told reporters on Sunday night. “But I believe I have grown.
“I understood that the critics of this past yearI being too young. Second year in Formula 1 and also in Ferrari was for sure.
“I thank Ferrari for believing me. I’m very happy to have these kind of results to show that I was more ready than some people thought.
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