Red Mist: Charles Leclerc Triple World Champion

William Shakespeare’s, for instance, warns, “Cursed be he that moves my bones.” Frank Sinatra’s promises, “The best is yet to come,” and Looney Tunes voice Mel Blanc’s stone confirms, “That’s all folks!” Poet Dorothy Parker, née Rothschild, wittingly apologises, “Excuse my dust.”

A late Aussie actor left paralysed after a car crash has a tombstone that reads, “Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake, stepped on the gas instead of the brake.”

Pioneer country singer Hank Williams confirms, “I’ll never get out of this world alive,” and Wild West gunslinger Robert Clay Allison’s says, “He never killed a man that did not need killing.” I often wonder what will end up on mine. And a few other people’s, for that matter.

Charles Leclerc is one. Right now it could very well read, “Charles Leclerc. Wasted his brilliant career at futile Ferrari.” When it really should say, “Triple World Champion.” So much has become increasingly evident in the past week since Elkann put his foot in it.

If anything, Johnnygate has caused more to be written about Formula 1 than has been for a while. Anyone with an opinion expressed it. And to a man and woman, they back Charles and Lewis.

Elkann’s rank amateur, flatulent outburst of course called Leclerc and Hamilton out, slating them as blabbermouths, and comparing them to his new heroes, the WEC champion crew, as he utterly deflated all that the World Endurance and triple Le Mans champions achieved over the past few years in one senseless sentence.

Anyway, he’s been painted all kinds of things in the press, on the social and beyond. Someone in his standing really should know better and engage the brain before blatting off. Hypocrite.

Jenson Button suggested, “maybe John should lead by example.” Ralf Schumacher said, “Charles is doing a fantastic job. He must not allow himself to be taken for a ride.”

Guenther Steiner vehemently defended Leclerc: “Charles gives everything, heart and soul. Elkann has no right to criticise him publicly. What a poor display of leadership. Especially at a driver who is performing well beyond his Ferrari's issues.”

Perhaps the most lucid among Johnny’s many critics is, however, Lewis Hamilton’s former wingman Valtteri Bottas. “A lot of people are saying Lewis Hamilton is not performing at Ferrari. To me it seems that the critics have underestimated the talent of Charles Leclerc. Or how good Hamilton’s teammate really is.”

Not that Charles’ ability has ever hidden in the shadows. It wasn’t very different when Leclerc first arrived at Ferrari alongside another four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel. And now he’s shown a clean pair of heels to what, an eight-time champion in Lewis.

In my mind, Charles Leclerc certainly has a World Championship or three, or four left in him. But can he ever achieve that at lacklustre Ferrari under a ‘boss’ who has no cooking clue what he’s doing?

I for one would not be at all surprised if Charles Leclerc’s tombstone read “Multiple World Champion.” But would that ever be possible at futile Ferrari?

Maybe Charles should take heed of one-time Sex Pistols manager, and appropriately enough, a man who went by the name of Malcolm McLaren’s tombstone: “Get the hell out of here!”