As Charles Leclerc and Ferrari star again in Australia, could a three-way F1 title fight emerge?
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Updated 10/04/2022 at 13:12 GMT
It was a weekend of dominance for Charles Leclerc, who became the first Ferrari driver to secure a Formula 1 ‘Grand Slam’ since Fernando Alonso in 2010. His display in Melbourne makes him the man to beat - but can we expect Red Bull and even Mercedes to mount a response at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix? And will we see a three-way title fight after all?
‘We had the best car, it’s no secret’ – Leclerc
Sunday 26 September, 2010.
The last time a Ferrari driver, namely Fernando Alonso, achieved Formula 1’s Grand Slam - pole position in qualifying, the quickest lap during the race and victory after leading from start to finish - at the Singapore Grand Prix.
At least, that was the case until today. On a warm and sunny afternoon at Albert Park, all the plaudits belonged to Charles Leclerc as he cantered to Australian Grand Prix glory - a statement victory if ever there’s been one, and one which secured the very first Slam of his own blossoming career.
The in-form Monegasque driver backed up his season-opening win at the Bahrain Grand Prix and a second-placed finish in Jeddah two weeks ago with yet another imperious display Down Under. Saturday also saw him clinch the Scuderia’s first pole position in Melbourne since Kimi Raikkonen achieved the feat a whopping 15 years ago.
But what is so special about the 24-year-old’s current displays - and are they indicative of a driver well and truly on the rise to stardom?
TITLE-WINNER IN THE MAKING?
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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc speaks with Red Bull's Sergio Perez following the Australian Grand Prix.
Image credit: Getty Images
A bold statement, yes, but on current inspection, there is every reason to believe Leclerc has what it takes to bring the glory days back to one of Formula 1’s most established teams.
It might not have been plain sailing for Leclerc during Sunday’s race, either. Twice the safety car was deployed after accidents saw team-mate Carlos Sainz, and later the returning Sebastian Vettel, retire from the race.
But on both occasions, Leclerc was able to re-establish his authority and pull away from those closest to him on the track, eventually triumphing after 58 laps with an advantage of over 20 seconds to nearest challenger Sergio Perez in the Red Bull.
Admittedly, that gap would have been lower had Max Verstappen not suffered a disappointing DNF for the second time this season. But speaking after the conclusion of Sunday’s action, the defending world champion admitted that he simply did not have the pace, nor the reliability, to challenge him.
In Sunday’s race, Leclerc was every inch the perfectionist, squeezing the life out of a race that on multiple occasions threatened to become a much closer battle, given the aforementioned safety car intervention.
Championships are not won or lost three races into a season, just as football titles are not decided by mid-September. We all know this, but one thing is clear: if the in-form Monegasque can continue his early-season escapades, there seem very few in the chasing pack that can stop him.
WHO ELSE COULD CHALLENGE LECLERC?
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium alongside Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.
Image credit: Getty Images
Of course, two names immediately spring to mind.
It would be remiss to state that reigning world champion Verstappen was out of the running at such an early stage of the year, despite the Dutchman insisting that his Red Bull team were “already miles behind” the Scuderia cars.
A fearless driver with a point to prove after a gut-wrenching start to 2022, the man dubbed ‘Mad Max’ in some quarters knows a thing or two about winning races. His epic, and quite frankly unmissable duel with Leclerc under the Jeddah lights, demonstrated just how fascinating their ever-developing personal rivalry promises to be.
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‘No pace, I couldn’t push’ – Verstappen on miserable race
Scorned by his latest DNF, coupled up with a late power unit issue which laid to rest his chances of a high points-scoring finish in Bahrain, he will undeniably be ready to head to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, up next on the F1 calendar, with fire in his belly. Not to mention a car that he hopes is capable of challenging at the very top, as will team-mate Perez, who secured his first podium of the season in Melbourne.
Elsewhere, Mercedes’ positive display at the Australian Grand Prix suggests they could be on an upward trajectory once more.
With a podium finish for George Russell - his first since joining the Silver Arrows - and a fourth-placed finish for Lewis Hamilton, things are suddenly looking a lot rosier in the Mercedes garden.
Speaking after today’s race, Hamilton praised Mercedes for what he described as an “unexpected” high points finish for both himself and his team-mate.
“It’s a great result for us as a team, honestly,” he exclaimed. "This weekend, we’ve had so many difficult moments with the car, so to get ourselves fifth and sixth in qualifying, to progress like we have and to have that reliability [feels great].”
Mercedes may still seem a far cry from the team that have won eight successive constructors’ titles, but there are growing signs of life in their garages. A glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, they can return two weeks from now, with a car ready to give both Ferrari and Red Bull a real run for their money.
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Russell admits Mercedes were a ‘bit fortunate’ to grab podium
Russell, like Hamilton, will go into that race full of confidence and with a will to build some momentum - who can blame him?
And finally, who could forget Leclerc’s own team-mate Carlos Sainz?
The Spaniard, who finished on the podium in each of the opening two races of the season, endured a torrid weekend Down Under, but his overriding quality is clear for all to see.
Having qualified a disappointing ninth, Sainz dropped down the grid at a rapid rate of knots and was down in 14th by the time the opening lap of the race had ended.
To make matters worse, his afternoon came to a premature halt not long after, as an overzealous overtake around the outside of Haas’ Mick Schumacher resulted in him spinning his way deep into the gravel trap as he attempted to work his way into points contention.
Yes, it will be a day - well, a few days - that Sainz and his pit crew will want to forget. Mistakes were made but lessons will be learned, without doubt.
Each of Ferrari, Red Bull and now Mercedes have shown their underlying quality out on track at varying stages of the season. And, if the Silver Arrows can continue to upgrade, adapt and find a winning formula to the porpoising issues that have held them back in recent weeks, we may just have the three-way title fight, both for drivers’ and constructors’ glory, that many would have hoped for before a flying lap was set in 2022.
SO, WHAT COMES NEXT?
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen, pictured winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2021.
Image credit: Getty Images
Imola, to be exact. Two weeks from now.
Leclerc goes into that one as the man to beat. He has a target on his back and expectations will be lofty, but for a man who has set the fastest lap in each of the opening three races of the season, few things will faze him.
His current advantage at the top of the drivers’ championship is 34 - his 71 points from a possible 78 a world apart from his nearest challenger, the Mercedes of Russell.
With youthful exuberance comes desire, and with desire comes a sheer will to win. Leclerc remains level-headed whenever he speaks to the media, but inwardly he will be beaming from ear to ear over the start both he and his team have made to 2022.
It was back in 2007 that a Ferrari came out on top in the drivers’ championship - Kimi Raikkonen, in his rookie year with the team, becoming the third Finn to win the title, following in the footsteps of Keke Rosberg in 1982 and two-time champion Mika Hakkinen (1998 and 1999).
It is still early days, but Leclerc looks every inch a man capable of reaching the very top.
Producing displays that defy his 24 years, the Ferrari man knows what it takes to win at a lower level, having clinched GP3 success in 2016 and the Formula 2 Championship in 2017. But as the season begins to develop and race weekends come and go, perhaps now is the time for Leclerc to seal the biggest title of them all.
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