Charles Leclerc took the crushing disappointment of losing an almost certain maiden Formula One win at the Bahrain Grand Prix with the impressive stoicism of a veteran.
He is 21 years old and more experienced drivers have crumbled or erupted in similar circumstances. That Leclerc bore it with such broad shoulders and sophistication reflected a driver who knows that it is only a matter of time before he does take victory. But more than that his performance and reaction to the setback may well herald the beginning of a new dynamic in F1.
The young Monégasque, in only his second season in F1 and his second race for Ferrari, was comfortably leading at the Sakhir circuit when what transpired to be a cylinder problem cost him power. He was reeled in by Lewis Hamilton, who went on to win, while Leclerc limped home in third, a first podium finish that was cold comfort.
Leclerc paused for a moment before climbing from the cockpit, gathering his thoughts and emerged to declare it was just part of racing. “Today was not our day,” he said. “It is sad. I was so close to realising a dream. But hopefully this day will come one day in the future.”
It will, without doubt. Every step he had made to that moment across the weekend had been hugely impressive. Bahrain had belonged to Leclerc. He was quickest in two of the three practice sessions, second only to his teammate Sebastian Vettel on Friday afternoon. He then blitzed the four-time world champion in qualifying, taking pole position with a lap three-tenths quicker than the German.
In the race, after a poor start that was his only slip dropped him to third, composure and a clinical recovery followed. He passed Valtteri Bottas and then flew after Vettel. He was quicker but the team told him to hold position for two laps. However, he saw an opportunity and took it decisively at turn four. Other inexperienced or indeed less hungry drivers might have felt holding station to their senior teammate would be in order. Leclerc simply saw a chance and grabbed it and the lead.
In the final act, as his power bled away, the focus remained, with Leclerc instantly putting the disappointment behind him in recognising there were still points to be had. The Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s take on it was illuminating.
“Very, very impressive,” he said. “He has a good personality. He is a humble young man and he is very fast. To have the combination of the speed, the personality and being able to temper your emotions in both directions is a great ingredient.
“I know many other drivers who have the lion in them, as he has, would have reacted in a different way and been angry and would have displayed that. And we didn’t see that.”
In stark contrast Vettel, whose internal lion is on occasion released from its cage especially under pressure, was left considering another driver error that proved costly. He spun as Hamilton pulled off a fine pass on lap 38. With his tyres shot and then losing his front wing, Vettel finished in fifth. The error compounded mistakes he made last season that cost him a shot at the title.
Vettel admitted it was his fault but Hamilton was sympathetic. “It happens to all of us,” he said. “Just because you are a multiple world champion does not mean you are not going to have off weekends.”
The trouble is that Vettel has comparatively far more and far more costly off weekends than Hamilton and much as he talks up his rival, Hamilton knows it. Across their respective performances over the last two seasons it is almost impossible now not to perceive that Hamilton absolutely has the measure of Vettel.
Leclerc’s bravura display in Bahrain brings an entire other level to their battle. Ferrari must consider that they have in him a driver who will charge for the win, is entirely unintimidated by his teammate and it seems is willing to ignore team orders. How they manage it is a major issue, as is how Vettel will react should he be beaten regularly by Leclerc. In 2014, when Daniel Ricciardo did just that at Red Bull, the German did not take to it with great equanimity.
Hamilton praised Leclerc’s performance, acknowledging that the weekend had been his but for misfortune. He already knew how good the young driver could be and, now it has been proved definitively, it is perfectly conceivable that Hamilton will consider Leclerc the greater threat.
“I haven’t had a wheel-to-wheel battle with him but I will at some stage I am sure,” he said. It is a fight that seems as inevitable as Leclerc taking that maiden win and a thrilling, vital new dimension to F1.