[Jody Barton]

I have to say that after today's qualifying there is zero question that Leclerc is doing enough. In 2019 he'll be in a Ferrari. If I was Sergio Marchionne I'd actually be really tempted to ditch Kimi and promote Leclerc mid season to get him used to how Ferrari do things. Only issue is that they might need the old wily Kimi in the run in to help Seb. However, I do believe that right now Leclerc would prove the better diver over all.

[morini]

We all need to see the boy in a Ferrari. If he's managed properly I'm sure he will flourish. MV had a lot more hype because of his age, but he's (so far) turned out to be "very fast, but flawed". However, so was Hamilton in his early seasons.

I think LeClerc will turn out to be the real deal.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/lecle...n/3166841/

Leclerc drove 2018 Ferrari in July Monza run.

Ferrari has already run at Monza this year after using a filming day that gave Charles Leclerc his first on-track experience of its 2018 Formula 1 car.

It has emerged in the build-up to this weekend's Italian Grand Prix that Ferrari completed 100km of running, the maximum allowed at so-called 'promotional events', at Monza in July with its SF71H.

Current Sauber driver and Ferrari protege Leclerc, who has been linked to a promotion to a race seat in 2019, drove the car.
Ferrari's first of two allowed filming days was used at Barcelona, before pre-season testing.
Though such days are done for marketing or promotional purposes, they can still be useful for teams as they can gain data from aerodynamic and engine parts.

Ferrari's run will also have been beneficial for small real-world assistance, such as a first experience of the resurfaced start-finish straight – changed to eliminate what FIA race director Charlie Whiting called a "significant" bump – and further chance for Leclerc to sample the car's functions behind the wheel and not just in the simulator.

The FIA has strict rules in place to govern procedure during these tests to prevent teams from gaining a competitive advantage.
Teams can only use one car, are restricted to 100km of running and Pirelli manufactures special demonstration tyres.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/lecle...t/3170465/

Charles Leclerc’s promotion to Ferrari in place of Kimi Raikkonen is back on track, because Ferrari wants to honour the plan implemented by Sergio Marchionne before he died.

[LotusLover]

If he does indeed get promoted I hope to god it is on an even playing field to Vettel, i would be a travesty if that was not the case? Hence my new thread No.1 and No.2s suck

[Jody Barton]

LotusLover, I agree. Let the drivers sort out who is No1 and No2 in the first few races of the season, and when it is clear who is it's up to the team to call it. I understand team orders to maximise WCC chances, and even in WDC fights when it gets close. But not in the first race of the season. If Leclerc goes to Ferrari it'll be interesting to see how Seb handles it, because rumours are it hasn't been a done deal before now because Seb has spat his dummy out and wants to keep Räikkönen as His wingman, and think Lewis has an edge because of Bottas.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/2726/...ight-away/

Charles Leclerc has been backed to beat Sebastian Vettel "right away" when he joins Ferrari next season. That is the view of former Scuderia test driver Raffaele Marciello, who was also scathing of Vettel's talents as a driver, rating him lower than Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Robert Kubica.

Leclerc will become the second-youngest driver in history to race for the Scuderia when he lines up on the grid in Australia next season, having impressed in his rookie campaign with Sauber in 2018.

After winning four consecutive world championships with Red Bull, Vettel struggled alongside a new teammate in Daniel Ricciardo during the 2014 season and Marciello – a member of Ferrari's academy between 2014-2016 predicts a similar story this time around.

"I have never rated Vettel at the level of Hamilton, Alonso or even Kubica," Marciello told Formula Passion.

"And I am convinced that when Charles arrives at Ferrari, he will be able to beat him right away. I think that if Ferrari does not win the world title this year, it will be Sebastian's responsibility.

"In the years of the Red Bull titles he had Mark Webber behind him, not a champion. And their car was much better than all the others.
"The comparison with Raikkonen is not very reliable.

When I drove during testing in Abu Dhabi in 2014, I was seven-tenths faster than Kimi, but those seven-tenths did not mean I was stronger than him.

"Simply, I had a great desire to get on track and push to the limit, Kimi maybe has lost this type of motivation. A good comparison can be made using Fernando [Alonso], who was always in front of Raikkonen.

"Sure, it is true that Vettel also beats Kimi, but not always and anyway the gap between them is less."

[morini]

I think that if Ferrari does not win the world title this year, it will be Sebastian's responsibility.

Tell it like you see it fella!

(I like this bloke)

[Jody Barton]

I've missed Raffaele Marciello's comments. He's like a one man insult factory. He gives zero fucks. Don't disagree with his assessment entirely, but if Leclerc does beat Vettel next year Sebs legacy will be trashed.

[PapaofGags]

I've missed Raffaele Marciello's comments. He's like a one man insult factory. 

Haha, went to the same school of manners as Jacque Villeneuve.