Prost Heaps Praises on Charles Leclerc, Believes F1 Radio Messages Show Guts

In 2019, Charles Leclerc stepped into Scuderia Ferrari and he posed a huge threat to Sebastian Vettel’s status as the number 1 driver. So former Ferrari driver Alain Prost believes that the Monegasque driver should be considered as the numero uno instead of Sebastian Vettel.

The Frenchman became a huge admirer of the 22-year-old who managed to not only survive in the lion’s den of a top-class team but held his own. This was in spite of potential internal driver feuds and the sluggish start to Ferrari’s season where wins only came in the second half.

Leclerc seized victories at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza and managed to best his older and more experienced teammate Sebastian Vettel. The youngster had already turned heads in his debut season in F1 at Alfa Romeo to become the second-youngest driver in the team’s history.

Speaking to Auto Hebdo, Prost disclosed, “What immediately stands out is that Leclerc was able to convince Ferrari to contract him. Racing for the Scuderia comes with immense pressure. If you keep that in mind, you could say that the first part of his career has been a complete success.”

Leclerc’s impressive season saw him get rewarded with a new contract, ensuring a Ferrari berth until at least 2024. Naturally, Alain Prost was not surprised and dubbed him as an equal number one at Ferrari.

The bad news was that the 2019 season was a smoldering stick of dynamite for the Italian Stallions. The explosion came when the two drivers collided in Brazil. Leclerc admitted that he made mistakes and sometimes questioned his team’s tactics and decision making.

Needless to say, Alain Prost admired that about him and thought that the 22-year old has matured at Scuderia Ferrari. He noted that Charles Leclerc does not hesitate to use aggression from time to time. As a parting note, Prost mused, “When I sometimes listen to his radio messages, I say to myself: Leclerc has balls!”