Charles Leclerc success at Ferrari hailed by Valentino Rossi

Charles Leclerc

Leclerc success at Ferrari hailed by Rossi

The Doctor is impressed!

Matthew Scott

Sunday 31 March 2019 14:54

Motorsport royalty Valentino Rossi hailed Charles Leclerc's Bahrain Grand Prix pole position as a great result for Ferrari and their fans. Leclerc secured pole in Sakhir ahead of Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who remains the youngest pole-winner in Formula 1 history.

Rossi has a long history with Ferrari and was even linked with a move from motorcycle racing to the Scuderia after Michael Schumacher's retirement.

Leclerc's arrival at Maranello after a rookie campaign with Sauber was a distinct break from the Ferrari tradition of opting for experienced drivers – indeed, the Monegasque became Ferrari's second-youngest driver in history in Australia a fortnight ago.

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And seven-time premier-class motorcycle champion Rossi believes it is the right direction for Ferrari to go in.

"I'm happy because Ferrari is strong and it's nice to see a young guy like him going so well," the Italian is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"He has arrived and is immediately strong.

"I think it's good for Ferrari too. For so long they have taken strong but already great drivers like [Fernando] Alonso, Vettel and [Michael] Schumacher.

"Now they've taken a young one and that he is so strong already is also good for the fans."

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