Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has drawn comparisons between Charles Leclerc and Gilles Villeneuve, one of the Scuderia's most beloved drivers.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has drawn comparisons between Charles Leclerc and Gilles Villeneuve, one of the Scuderia's most beloved drivers.
Villeneuve won only six races for Ferrari before he died at the age of 32 in an accident during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.
Some of those six victories are among the most memorable in Formula One, with the Canadian having a reputation as one of the fastest drivers in motorsport history, as his former teammate Jody Scheckter once described him.
He was also incredibly popular among the tifosi, Ferrari's most loyal fans. There is a bronze bust of Villeneuve at the entrance to Fiorano, the team's test track in Maranello.
However, the excitement surrounding Ferrari's newest hero, Leclerc, led Binotto to compare the two.
"There are only a few drivers who are capable of doing that. I believe Charles is one of them, as Gilles was," Binotto told members of the media in Monaco.
"Looking at Charles, the way he is driving, his talent, and more than that, his passion and the passion of the fans for him, is something I call 'being Ferrari'."
"Gilles was fantastic for winning only six races and still being our driver for the whole team and the tifosi. It was his driving style, his demeanor and his passion."
"I believe Charles has it all, which makes us passionate. We just hope he can get more than six wins."