Leclerc turning into the third highest paid driver on the grid after Max and Lewis. With eight wins to his name.
His fanbase acts like he's haunted by bad luck and torturing himself. Well, I think he's fine with his insta marriage, the dog and the three yachts, what's not to love about his life? And maybe one day even a championship. He cares about the Ferrari brand much more than about anything else.
The way I see it, he's playing it smart. To live the best and most comfortable life possible without too much effort, there is no hardship, I don't see how he is killing himself (you'd think he would act like Nico, he should, but there is nothing of the sort), no he is happy to never have to get used to another team and team culture. Even though I think it'd benefit him.
It's why Lewis' moves are so admirable, really. But Lewis didn't grew up rich in Monaco, Lewis got used to never opting for the easy way. (Oh no, they didn't have enough money for Charles' brother to race in F1 too, so actually they were poor by Monaco standards and Charles had it pretty rough....Give me a break, but that's the fan talk I see all the fucking time because for some reason they hate it when you point out that Charles comes from wealth and has never been an underdog?).
And staying at Ferrari is the easiest most comfortable low risk high reward "move" Charles could make, I get it. Why leave the team to Lewis, now that good changes are happening (thanks to Lewis)? But I would have kept my cards closer to my chest regardless and drawn out the contract talks. Knocked on Merc's door perhaps, in the unlikely event that George falls off this season. Just would have waited. But if you can earn that amount of money without even being a champion that's what you do, right? He'll be more valued than Lando Norris. So he's in an extremely comfortable position and can have one of the most luxurious lives without ever even winning a title. And if he wins, he will have a great story about loyalty and "fate".
But maybe he won't win one. What then?
Maybe he'll become a father. ;) It'll be interesting to see.
I wonder how Lewis views this, remembering Sebastian telling Charles to not waste his years at Ferrari. If out of every driver Vettel said this to me, about Ferrari, alarm bells would ring - but, of course, he was mad because Ferrari had sacked him, and of course every driver has to believe that they will be the one to break the cycle. Still. Lewis never doubted Merc's package for 2026 and still took a new opportunity when it presented itself because they pressured him. I doubt he'd understand. It also sounds like Ferrari doesn't pressure Charles at all. But that shows the nepotism culture in the team. Or maybe they just love pole positions because he can put together a qualifying lap like few others, granted, which, yes, shows his natural speed everyone admires.
exaaaatly. i really don't have much to add because you've conveyed all my thoughts about the situation: charles has once again done very well for himself with absolutely nothing to back him up. his fans see in him a potential that his results don't show. massa has more wins than him, in much fewer races!
nothing about charles' results justifies ferrari continuing to hire him, I'm sure there's something on their side that appeals, charles continues to be their propaganda boy, he has very little appeal himself, outside of being a ferrari driver, so the relationship is symbiotic in that regard. lewis even if he wins a championship with ferrari, despite the huge feat that would be, would never be just a 'ferrari driver' his achievements are too extensive, and it would be downright miraculous for him to win another 7 championships with ferrari to the point that eclipses his other ones. so charles is their showpony, not big enough to make superstar demands, but recognizable enough to make them money selling the kind of conservative luxury lifestyle ferrari likes to associate itself with. the issue is that lifestyle is on the way out of fashion soon, but then, if he wins anything at all they'll pivot to focusing on that alone and you'll see a lot less of Alexandra and the fuckass dog, or, I hope, Lewis wins, and charles gives interviews in italian about how great Ferrari is now and how he trusts the process and how he's there forever and committed forever etc etc
i don't know what lewis thinks about it frankly, i have the impression he takes it for granted that the other drivers will just be handed the things he actually has to work for, and that's just how it is in f1. so i imagine this is just another case of that. i assume he takes personal pride in knowing he actually has done everything to merit both his salary and fame. i would. it gives him a certain psychological edge he'd be smart to use.
i have no respect for pole positions, i'm furious that lewis is getting so many of them in 2015 because that takes all the fun out of the races if he just disappears in the distance, if you wanted to make the races more thrilling then the fastest cars would be automatically disqualified from qualifying front row. like you said the race is on sunday, and charles' inability to convert those poles into wins should be more discussed. but whatever. also agree that the fact that he didn't try to stretch contract negotiations throughout the season is odd, maybe he's scared of something.
