IT'S 6AM ON THE FRIDAY OF THE MONACO Grand Prix weekend. There's a good chance the real excitement will be over tomorrow afternoon once Q3 is complete. The Monaco GP is an amazing event but more often than not, a horrible motor race. But that doesn't matter, because the build-up is about to begin in earnest to Charles Leclerc's final, dazzling qualifying lap. Maybe he'll stick it on pole. Maybe he'll stick it into the wall. Maybe... no, that's about the only two possibilities I foresee right now. The man is an artist and heroically committed. Even the relentless talent of Max Verstappen doesn't conjure the same excitement as Ferrari's star man when he's shooting for pole on the streets of Monaco.
Or anywhere else for that matter. Is Charles quicker than Max? It's impossible to say. He's certainly not as consistent, he doesn't have the metronomic and devastating race pace that must be so demoralising to try to compete against, nor is he as ruthless in wheel-to-wheel situations. Yet Leclerc has something magical and intangible.
You just can't keep your eyes away from his Ferrari being danced, dragged, bullied, teased and caressed all at once until it delivers a lap time far beyond what it has any right to record. There's something so raw about the car's body language.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2023 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tiff Needell
From Morris Travellers to McLarens, via Le Mans and F1, television's original Mr Sideways talks about his behind-the-wheel highlights
Aston Martin DB12 Volante
The drop-top version of Aston Martin's super tourer’ has arrived, complete with the same 6/lbhp V8 and 202mph top speed. But the need for a calmer soul lingers
BEST BUYS
Sam Jenkins
THE ANATOMY OF A PENSKE 123 INDYCAR
For a while in the '90s, IndyCar challenged Formula 1 as the premier form of motorsport; we look under the skin of a Penske PC23 from the series' golden era
TECHNOLOGY OVERLOAD?
Do today's car interfaces ask too much of the driver? And how can they be improved? We get an Airbus pilot's expert opinion
ARCH RIVALS
Audi's RS4 is going out on a high with the Competition version; Alfa Romeo's Giulia Quadrifoglio fights on with a new facelift. The two meet for a shootout
BLUE FUNDAY
The road-going Maserati MC20 was evo Car of the Year 2022, so great things are expected of the GT2 race version. We head for the Autodromo di Modena to find out if it delivers
Vredestein Ultrac Pro
New high performance tyre claims unique blend of grip and ride comfort. We put it to the test
Virtual sanity
Can sophisticated driving simulators replace costly, physical prototypes? We visit the new £4m Horiba MIRA simulator complex to take a digital drive
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
A package of updates for 2024 ensures the Giulia's sister car remains the most super of super-SUVs