Leclerc is hungry. Of a new victory that is slow in arriving, of a stimulating battle that doesn't want to start. He snubs consolation prizes, aware that he deserves much more recognition. He doesn't delude himself and almost disappoints himself, despite a race with masterly, tactical and impeccable conduct, which brings him close to the podium. Driver of the day for the spectators, because recovering four positions in Suzuka is a feat, even more so if it happens with just one stop. Pilot who missed the target, according to his personal vision.
Charles he has always been less than indulgent with himself, tends towards self-criticism, and is lucid in admitting all sorts of mistakes. In fact, fourth place retains the bitter taste of a defeat, because it originated from his lack, precisely in qualifying, where he has always been a master. The Monegasque doesn't seize the right moment, squanders his energy, lingers in an anonymity that doesn't belong to him. Relegated to eighth position, a backup starting position, excellent if you are a outsider, indigestible if you are a qualifier looking for the perfect lap.
![Charles Leclerc - Scuderia Ferrari, Japanese GP 2024](https://www.formulacritica.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Charles-Leclerc-Scuderia-Ferrari-Gp-Giappone-2024-1-750x375.webp)
Yes, perfection. Leclerc has accustomed us well, flying on Saturday, giving us the ephemeral joy of pole, if nothing else a full celebration in lean times. Then, suddenly, the spell was broken, or at least that's what was perceived, despite a solidity of results and scores that should be more than encouraging. The numbers, the ones that never lie but can't tell you anything, place him third in the standings, just five points behind Perez, eighteen points behind Verstappen.
Yet, what they don't say is much murkier than what they seem to express. Ferrari's good day, the one that took place in the other hemisphere, reversed the roles between the pursued and the pursuer, but it was enough to return to tradition to understand that Red Bull's misstep could remain an isolated case. Furthermore, Sainz played the role of showman, in qualifying and with a sumptuous race on Sunday.
In Bahrain, Charles enjoyed the satisfaction of being on the front row, but was unable to grab the podium due to an exhausting battle against the vagaries of his brakes. In Jeddah he missed pole by only a tenth and a half, but in the race he was third behind the two Red Bulls. A sort of minimum wage, given the absence of Carlos and the potential of Ferrari. Furthermore, the interest generated by Oliver Bearman's convincing debut further clouded his performance, making it feel like homework.
Those 59 points, lying and ephemeral like all labels, speak of a redemption that doesn't exist and, probably, won't arrive within this season. La Rossa, a splendid second force, thanks also to captain Vasseur, cannot fight for the title. The path taken seems to be the right one, the progress is tangible, the smiles are relaxing on faces that were once contracted. But it's still not enough to win. This is why Leclerc is thrilled.
Sainz's situation, ironically, seems to be decidedly better. He is the driver at the start, the one who has nothing to lose, but a lot to show. Free from moral obligations, genetically less inclined to emotion, he is pulling a Ferrari that is no longer his with rationality and self-sacrifice. He became an accomplice, avoiding unnecessary resentment, aware that this last year with the Red will be decisive for his future.
![Charles Leclerc - Scuderia Ferrari](https://www.formulacritica.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Leclerc-1-750x375.webp)
Charles, on the other hand, devoted himself to the cause with a romantic and all-encompassing obstinacy. The Monegasque not only loves Ferrari: he feels it, it is a living part of him. There is something arcane that drives him, something that would be reductive to define as feeling, since it also has to do with ambition, with the ultimate goal of his career as a pilot.
If during the first years he could still be satisfied with some sporadic success, with many exciting starts at the pole, now it is imperative for him to want more. Wanting a fight on equal terms against that Red Bull that is taking off, that Verstappen that is traveling directly towards his fourth title.
Leclerc is tired of settling for crumbs, however delicious they may be. He is too hungry, he has an atavistic appetite that can no longer be satisfied by sipped rations. This greed brings him dangerously close to that limit where mistakes are easier.
The border between the sublime and mediocrity is the most fragile there can be in a sport that feeds on moments. And Charles must return to make peace with the clock to find his fleeting moment again.
Crediti foto: Scuderia Ferrari