By: Tuesday 13 October. Just over a day has passed since the Singapore GP. A day spent talking about Lewis Hamilton’s strategy and what Ferrari should have done. As we reflected on the outcome of the event, we were reminded of what we had thought around the middle of last week, when Charles Leclerc, having just arrived at Marina Bay, unveiled the race suit he would wear over the weekend.
An unusual choice
Given that it was a night race, the Monegasque’s choice had seemed rather bizarre. Generally, at events held under artificial light, drivers and teams alike tend to wear and create very eye-catching designs. Audi is an example, as are many drivers’ helmets, including Hamilton’s: mirror-finish gold, designed to shine in the Singapore night. The reason is not a beauty contest, but the need to be recognisable to fans around the circuit.
Leclerc, however, chose to go against the grain. The Monegasque opted for anonymity by dressing in black, as though he wanted to go unnoticed, as if asking us to focus our attention on those seeking the spotlight. Let him work quietly in the background, alone in the night.
No distractions
We are not saying that Leclerc did not want to be among the race’s leading figures and try to win the round; quite the opposite. The results show otherwise. The point is more subtle. This year, Hamilton has enjoyed something of a revival and, buoyed by the points he has in the standings, perhaps feels a little as though he is currently the Scuderia’s ‘star’. You can see it in his manner and the way he carries himself. It is evident in the details.
Perhaps Leclerc is experiencing these feelings first-hand, and his choice of black may symbolise Charles’s desire to focus exclusively on performance, shutting out the outside world. Working hard with one objective: the good of the team. A post published by the Scuderia on Saturday night, showing the Monegasque working alone late into the night inside the garage, is the perfect image of the passion this young man brings to trying to restore Ferrari to its former glory (photos within the article, source: X, Ferrari).
The Marina Bay weekend was not an easy one for him. The start was far from ideal, but he managed to take third in Sprint Qualifying, a position he would retain, despite losing out to Hamilton in Saturday’s mini-race. Something changed from Q3 onwards: he claimed P2 ahead of his team-mate, then spent the night studying the data and revising his notes in the hope that he would be the one to bring a smile to Ferrari fans’ faces.
Black shines brighter than gold when placed in the right light
On Sunday, although he desperately tried to keep pace with Verstappen in the first stint, he did not have the tools to fight for victory. Red Bull and the Dutchman had more. However, his team-mate stumbled over strategy midway through the race and, by missing the pit entry during the VSC, left Charles with all the honours for putting Ferrari on the podium behind Max.
Leclerc chose to be black as the night, in the Singapore night. Anonymity paid off, showing Charles that black, too, can shine brighter than gold when placed in the right light.
Cover photo: X, Ferrari
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