Charles Leclerc Takes Pole in Austin
When Charles Leclerc presented his special green-colored helmet in Texas on Thursday, he had connected this choice to Gianni Morandi’s song “Un mondo d’amore,” which spoke of a “large green meadow where hopes are born.”
The hope of a rejuvenated Ferrari in Austin came true, with Charles Leclerc delivering an excellent qualifying performance, earning him his 21st career pole position. Here’s how Italian newspapers have reacted the outstanding performance of the Monegasque driver.
La Stampa: “Charles Leclerc, a Masterful Pole. This Time Verstappen Errs”
“America loves Ferrari, and Ferrari shines on the challenging and fun ups and downs of Austin. The best Leclerc reemerges, cool, composed, always on the edge. Verstappen struggles this time, gets angry with his teammate, lags behind in the first pole position attempt, and makes a mistake on the last attempt. A wheel goes beyond the track limits at the penultimate corner, and a penalty is triggered: the time is canceled. The first outing after the celebrations is a half-flop: sixth place without excessive hopes of a comeback, given the characteristics of the circuit. Talent, without the hunger for victory, is not enough to ensure error-free performances. Ferrari wants to capitalize on this form to win and earn points to reach the second place in the standings currently occupied by Mercedes.” (Stefano Mancini)
La Repubblica: “Charles Leclerc Takes Ferrari to Pole. ‘This Time I Have Good Feelings'”
“Touch down Charles. Leclerc on pole in Austin, Texas. The Monegasque thinks about the future, even the immediate future: for his 100th time aboard a Ferrari, he will try to win for the first time this year. He has the right opportunity, Charles. Max Verstappen starts in 6th place: not an insurmountable handicap for an insatiable Max who will not give up on another achievement: the 50th career win and the 15th of a year lived as a dominator.” (Alessandra Retico)
Quotidiano Nazionale: “Leclerc, a Pole Worth Applause. A New American Dream”
“Under the Texas sun, Ferrari shines. Charles Leclerc takes pole for tomorrow’s Grand Prix. Carletto excels on the very fast circuit and will start ahead of everyone on the grid. Max immediately lost the best time due to track limits, and in the Grand Prix, he will reasonably… be angry.”
From the blog – “Why Leclerc is Leclerc” – “On Sunday evening, a Ferrari will start from pole position, and it’s Carletto’s. I’m sorry for those who persist in not understanding. There’s a reason why, despite objectively modest results, Charles Leclerc is so popular among Ferrari fans. It’s because he occasionally pulls out the trick that gives you back the pride of belonging. It happened in Austin. But if we’ve been here for over seventy years identifying with a passion, well, it’s also for small moments like this.” (Leo Turrini)
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