Lock up Leclerc, against everyone, he is Ferrari - opinion

In the most difficult week, in which there was no shortage of attacks from Red Bull advisor Hemut Marko, who praised Carlos Sainz and did not spare Leclerc any criticism, also casting shadows on his future, the Monegasque with the number 16 of the red car responded in a big way.

Namely, with two poles, one for the race and the other for the sprint race in the shootout.

As Marko says, it is also true that his partner Sainz has so far managed to do better than him. Like an ant accumulating molluscs, Carlos accumulates points with his regular conduct.

The two complement each other and fortunately there is also understanding. The Spaniard is an excellent driver and it's good for Ferrari to have him. But he is no Charles Leclerc. At least not in the hearts of the fans.

Gli Rossa has always been a passion and the fans love a passionate driver. The courage, the unscrupulousness, the flat-out acceleration of Charles refer to the most authentic imagery of Formula 1, of what this sport represents for those who love it.

In spite of all the safety modifications, in spite of the fact that it has become increasingly cerebral, favouring the right strategy of changing tyres over overtaking.

For the fans of the sport, the ideal will always be a Steve McQueen-like icon, the reckless life, the speed capable of releasing adrenalin like few other things in the world.

The ability to overtake one's adversary by easing off the accelerator later and consequently taking more risks, the ability to exalt oneself in duels, to win them by instinct rather than by calculation. This is the true soul of Formula 1 and this is what the fans like.

A soul perfectly embodied by Charles Leclerc, who is a magician in those duels if he has the right car. His unscrupulousness on the track and his childlike face, smiling but veiled with a hint of restlessness, are reminiscent of another Ferrari legend, also French-speaking: Gilles Villeneuve.

The Canadian, capable like no one perhaps in history (you have to go back to the 1930s, with the vicissitudes of Tazio Nuvolari) of igniting the spirits of Gli Rossa fans.

Of course, there was a certain Michael Schumacher, how could we forget him...

The German driver, however, one of the few able to combine speed, calculation and coolness at the decisive moments at the highest level, was a car almost too perfect to be loved madly.

Despite the successes, despite the great driver he was. The love is immense, but love, you know, is irrational.

It is the same reason why in the days of the Prost-Mansell pairing, despite the former's world-class calibre, the latter fired the fans' spirits more. The English lion from the Isle of Man, ended his two-year Ferrari career in '89-90 with only three victories.

The great Gilles Villeneuve, who unfortunately did not manage to complete his fifth year with the red cars because of the Zolder tragedy, managed to scrape together only six victories in 1978-1982.

They may not have been champions in the books but they were champions in their hearts, reckless drivers, often unappreciated by their colleagues but adored by the fans.

In 1979 the Canadian finished second behind his teammate, South African Jody Scheckter, thus also contributing to the Constructors' Championship. Back to having a world champion, the fans of Gli Rossa applauded Scheckter, but hearts continued to be turned a little further towards the unscrupulous Canadian team-mate.

What will remain in their eyes at the end of that year? Villeneuve's wheel-to-wheel duel with René Arnoux at the French GP.

That's why Charles must be preserved. Because he is the last example of this lineage. The kind of driver who expresses Ferrari's passion at its best, and does not turn into a cold calculator like those who preceded him, think of Vettel but also of Alonso himself, who has become a lion again now but who in Ferrari never showed that passion and grit.

Even Eddie Irvine, another much-loved Ferrarista, lost his bite as Schumacher's second driver.

Leclerc did not, he remained the same: no calculation, for better or worse. Poles and mistakes that could certainly have been avoided, dictated by too much eagerness or a lack of ability to manage advantage and tyres. But that's OK. Let's not envy the Verstappens, or even earlier the Hamiltons. Let's keep Charles and give him a fast car.

Patience if the victories don't come so copious, because the race is another story, as the Monegasque himself keeps saying, aware of Red Bull supremacy.

Let's keep Charles. Keeping him is a duty to the fans, even more than a project for the present and the future.

It is also a duty to the history of this brand. It is above all a pact of love: he loves Ferrari, Ferrari loves him. Nothing else is needed. Tell that to Helmut Marko as well.