Photo: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
According to Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, similarities exist between current Scuderia driver Charles Leclerc and the legendary Gilles Villeneuve, who despite winning only six races in his entire F1 career, remains one of the Italian outfit’s most beloved drivers.
Leclerc’s career at Ferrari started off very strong, as the Monegasque driver was quickly rewarded with a multi-year contract that runs until the end of 2024. This year, he’s a genuine title contender, having won two races while securing five pole positions in the opening seven GPs of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
When asked by Motorsport about the comparison between Leclerc and Gilles Villeneuve, Binotto had this to say:
“If I look at Charles, [it’s] the way he is driving, his talent, and more than that, it’s the passion, the passion of the fans for him.”
“Being [part of] Ferrari is somehow trying to enhance the myth of the cavallino [the prancing horse]. There are only a few drivers which are capable of doing that, and I think Charles is one of these, as was Gilles.”
“Gilles was fantastic. Gilles won only six races but remains for all the tifosi and the cavallino the driver. It really was his way of driving, his way of behaving. It’s the passion he showed. And I think Charles has got that, and it’s something which is great. We are passionate as well ourselves, and we hope that he wins more than six races.”
I think Binotto can rest assured about that last part. Leclerc will probably win more than six races this year alone (he already has four career wins in F1) and seen as how he trails championship leader Max Verstappen by only 9 points, the Ferrari man is still very much a contender. There’s a lot of racing left between now and the end of the season.
As for Villeneuve, he raced for Ferrari between 1977 and 1982, when he sadly passed away. In 1979, he finished as the runner-up to teammate Jody Scheckter in the title race.
When asked by Motorsport about the comparison between Leclerc and Gilles Villeneuve, Binotto had this to say:
“If I look at Charles, [it’s] the way he is driving, his talent, and more than that, it’s the passion, the passion of the fans for him.”
“Being [part of] Ferrari is somehow trying to enhance the myth of the cavallino [the prancing horse]. There are only a few drivers which are capable of doing that, and I think Charles is one of these, as was Gilles.”
“Gilles was fantastic. Gilles won only six races but remains for all the tifosi and the cavallino the driver. It really was his way of driving, his way of behaving. It’s the passion he showed. And I think Charles has got that, and it’s something which is great. We are passionate as well ourselves, and we hope that he wins more than six races.”
I think Binotto can rest assured about that last part. Leclerc will probably win more than six races this year alone (he already has four career wins in F1) and seen as how he trails championship leader Max Verstappen by only 9 points, the Ferrari man is still very much a contender. There’s a lot of racing left between now and the end of the season.
As for Villeneuve, he raced for Ferrari between 1977 and 1982, when he sadly passed away. In 1979, he finished as the runner-up to teammate Jody Scheckter in the title race.
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