Mercedes always expected 'humble and fast' Leclerc to be in the mix

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff knew from the outset that Ferrari's Charles Leclerc would be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Leclerc left Bahrain as the moral winner of the second round of the F1 world championship, the Monegasque being denied his maiden F1 win by a gremlin that crept into his engine in the closing stages of last week's race.

For Wolff however, the Scuderia driver's pace and flawless performance left no doubt as to his status relative to his Mercedes counter-parts, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

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"I think we have always expected him to be a threat," Wolff said.

"He is in a great car and has the skills and the character to be very successful.

"It’s a challenge that we really enjoy. And I’m sure Valtteri and Lewis will enjoy. We want to fight against the best ones in the best machines."

Having watched Leclerc's mercurial rise to prominence and witnessed his speed this year with Ferrari, Wolff has no doubts about the quality of the 21-year-old's attributes, as a driver and as an individual.

"In Leclerc, I think we’re seeing a young champion in the making who was the emotional winner," added the Merc boss.

"Fastest man and fastest machine. He has gotten all the cruel side of motor racing and it was our fortune.

©Ferrari

"Very, very impressive. He has a good personality. He is a humble young man and he’s very fast.

"The combination between the speed, personality and being able to temper your emotions in both directions is a great ingredient.

"I know that many other drivers who have the lion in them, like he certainly has, would have reacted in a much more controversial way about the third place and would have been angry and would have displayed that.

"None of that you see with Charles."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.