Is Leclerc doing enough?
#71

Seems with the new price cap coming in & drivers salary's not included the drivers now have the whip hand, reckon we will see all the top boys now commanding *silly money* now if only I was 35yrs younger & 6st lighter lol. Wink

"When a man holds you round the throat, I don't think he has come to apologise" 
Ayrton Senna on Nigel Mansell, SPA 1987.   Angel
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#72

Now confirmed by CLC social media: Extremely happy to announce that I will be staying with @scuderiaferrari for 5 more years. I'm so grateful to be driving for such a team. I've learnt so much during this first year with the team and it is a great starting point to build a strong relationship for the years ahead.

"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life"....Marco Simoncelli
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#73

I believe I suggested this very thing in my season review. Smart move by Ferrari and its about time too!

Down The Road. Future world champion material there is no doubt in my mind. Ferrari better make sure they hang on to him for 2021. If was in charge I would be talking to him right now about a contract extension I am not letting it get to the end of the next season and any uncertainty come into play.
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#74

I think Leclerc probably deserves his new contract. He's done well in his first season at Ferrari, not perfect, but he's certainly done more than enough to get a long term contract, although he was already signed up until 2022, so Ferrari "shoring" up his contract even further is an interesting step, almost like they're trying to convince him that they are serious about him. I wonder they felt the need to do that considering it's Seb Vettel out of contract in 2021? Are they planning on signing a big name replacement for Leclerc to partner with?
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#75

(27-12-2019, 01:37 PM)Jody Barton Wrote:  so Ferrari "shoring" up his contract even further is an interesting step

Weird move if you ask me. Don't see the point in extending this early on as everyone knows contracts are easily broken if the situation dictates (on either side). I can understand why LeClerc might find it worthwhile, but I really don't see what it gives Ferrari.
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#76

Agreed Morini. Someone I know said weeks back, around the Mexican GP to be precise, if Leclerc gets a new contract extension / deal it means Lewis is incoming. I laughed him off, but making Leclerc feel "loved" while bringing in the best driver on the grid is probably the best move they could make, one thing it certainly says though is that Vettel is done at Ferrari.
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#77

...or it could simply suggest the Scuderia see CLC as their future and clear No 1 driver then bringing in a young`un as his wingman when Seb retires?

"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life"....Marco Simoncelli
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#78

(27-12-2019, 06:35 PM)forzaferrari Wrote:  ...or it could simply suggest the Scuderia see CLC as their future and clear No 1 driver then bringing in a young`un as his wingman when Seb retires?

No chance of that in the next couple of seasons, in my very humble opinion. Ferrari will take a top driver like Lewis in a heartbeat to race alongside and improve their own prodigy (CLC is very far from the finished article at this point). There are only three teams who could afford Hamilton’s price and they would all willingly pay it. Charles LeClerc and Lewis Hamilton in the same car would be box-office stuff and I would love to see them in the same team.

Ferrari must see CLC as a stellar long-term prospect (and who wouldn't), but at this stage he has won sweet FA, isn't team leader ready and is just a huge bundle of awesome potential. Shown several glimpses of greatness this year I have to say, but also some very glaring vulnerabilities and naive weaknesses. Of the youngsters I would say (at this point in time) Verstappen is the most complete all round package, but he has much more experience in a top car (5 seasons) and has been lead driver at rbr for quite some time - and even now is only around the same age Hamilton was when he entered F1. CLC is still my tip to be the most successful driver of the next generation though. This is purely based on my view that he he can extract more raw speed from a car than Max has ever shown he can. Max is the best Sunday / wheel to wheel driver I have seen for a long time, but he has not consistently shown all that much over one lap. CLC at a few races this year got times out of the Ferrari that just were not there. I know one lap pace is not the "be all and end all", but if you can pull three tenths out and start from the front more often than not then you have a big advantage over your competitors.

Much as the media hype them all I don't think any of the current "young guns" have made the same sort of impact that Lewis Hamilton made in his maiden F1 season back in 2007. But then he earned his stripes and had success beating his peers in all junior formulae before he made it to F1. Experience goes a very long way but these days you need “unworldly talent” and experience / nous to consistently win in F1.

Will be fun watching what CLC and MV have to offer over the next few seasons. Hopefully Ocon will get a good seat and be in the mix as well, but he is still an unknown quantity for me. Only Sainz and Norris are potentially in the same league, but I fear they won't get into top seats unless McLaren ace the reg change in 2021.
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#79

Pretty much agree with all that Morini, I think long term of the young guns CLC would be my pick. I have faith in Ocon, I've seen him race a lot in junior formula and he handed Max his ass on a plate on more than a few occasions. He still has to prove himself though. I like Norris, have done for a few years, and I'm one of the peeps on here who has consistently rated Sainz, so no disagreement there, I'd like to see what Russell does next season. If he defeats Moneybags the second as handsomely as some are suggesting he will then I guess it'll look good, but unless it's in a car that can compete with others his career could stall horribly. He could go the way of Wehrlein, a young driver who probably deserved a shot at a decent drive but never got one. I'm still not sold on Albon. I know that might sound mean, and give him his dues he deserves that RBR drive next season, but if he does nothing with it then I'd say feck him off too like Gasly.
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#80

Picking a young driver for the future, for me it is not so much one driver to pick over all the other.

Verstappen and Leclerc are very different, but both top material and both can win championships if the car and team is good. Leclerc is sitting in a good position, Verstappen I am still not sure with where Red Bull-Honda will go on long term and if he is lucky enough to pick the right moment, if needed, to make a switch to Mercedes (or maybe McLaren will be back at the top in future?). Verstappen seems to have more raw racecraft, but as this makes him a great driver to watch, it also makes him a bit of a liability over a whole season (but as a watching fan it is great). There I see a more calculated Leclerc come in. Anyway, great battle between those if the car and team is equal.

After those two, I think Saintz and Norris are excellent drivers and can win championships (still Verstappen and Leclerc seem to be a bit more special).
Ocon might be around here, but I am not sure about him.

Then we go to Russel. Lot of potential but not there yet.
Same goes for Albon. He can be fast, but somehow he just not in that same league if you ask me. He is like Bottas; fast driver, not a pur sang racer (weird to say that about F1 drivers; they are, to begin with, all great racers). I am not even sure if Albon is faster than Gasly, last season was not a benchmark for me when it comes to these two.

Giovinazzi, I don't think he needs mentioning here right?
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