Despite George Russell Humiliation, “Goat” Charles Leclerc Showered With Love for Enduring “Circle of Hell”

Way back when the Twitch Quartet was one of the only forms of entertainment in Formula 1, Charles Leclerc said, “Maybe the next game we can play is the ‘Goat Simulator.’” George Russell’s hilarious question to Leclerc’s statement was, “Do we have to milk the goats?” As Lando Norris unleashed hell on Russell for his absurd question, Leclerc went into a fit of laughter. Leclerc’s response after his laughing died down? “Milk the goats. That is an amazing idea for a game, though.” Leclerc’s wish sort of came true at the Qatar GP last weekend because not only did Russell’s charge milk everything out of Leclerc, but the race also left the Tifosi’s “GOAT” spent.

The Qatar GP was one of the most grueling races F1 drivers have raced in. With track temperatures upwards of 40C and extremely high humidity, the race left drivers dehydrated more than ever. Additionally, the high-speed corners of the Lusail Circuit did not make things easier. Oh, and the FIA imposed a maximum tire usage of 18 laps, meaning that every lap the drivers did was like a qualifying lap. For 57 laps, they went through “torture,” as Valtteri Bottas put it. Esteban Ocon even threw up mid-race. Logan Sergeant had to retire, Fernando Alonso had burns, and many drivers fainted. The conditions were less than ideal, but Leclerc squeezed out a P5.

Ferrari is fighting Mercedes for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship. With Carlos Sainz sitting out of the race, Leclerc was the only Ferrari driver on track. After Lap 1, though, things should’ve worked out in Ferrari’s favor. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collided, leaving only Russell to fight for Mercedes. Considering he was plumb last after Lap 1, and Leclerc was in the top 5, Ferrari should’ve outscored Mercedes again. But that didn’t happen, and Leclerc had to face the humiliation handed out by Russell.

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Mercedes had the better race pace in Qatar. Even Ferrari knew that. But Leclerc also had more than a 10-place advantage on Russell. Even so, the Monegasque couldn’t do anything about the Brit’s charge and had to settle for P5 behind Russell’s P4. The worst part was that the Mercedes driver also had an extra pit stop! Being a Ferrari driver isn’t easy because it comes with a lot of criticism from the Tifosi. After a Ferrari performance that should’ve ended with the wrath of the Tifosi, Ferrari’s golden boy received words of appreciation from fans.

Charles Leclerc is a “true sportsman”

Drivers were finding it difficult to stand after the race. Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri literally lay down on the cool-down room floor before the podium celebrations. That’s how physically taxing the Qatar GP was. After recovering, Leclerc posted an update on X. He wrote, “Feeling sorry for Carlos for the issue on his car. Crossed the finish line P5. It was the maximum we could’ve done. By far the hardest race of my career physically 😅 Big congrats to Max for winning his 3rd championship!” What followed this was only love from the Tifosi.

Do you believe in superhumans? If you want proof they exist, tune into one (if not all) F1 race weekends and watch 20 superhumans push themselves to the absolute limit as they fight for supremacy. At this point, after the struggle they went through during the Qatar GP, they’re all GOATs. Charles Leclerc included.

Dehydration, burns, 57 qualifying laps, throwing up, high-speed corners, blurry vision. If anything could describe an F1 Circle of Hell, it would be the Lusail International Circuit in 2023. 

Seeing how physically and mentally exhausted every driver was after the race, it became evident they gave it their everything. The Tifosi couldn’t have been any prouder of Leclerc.

It takes a lot to please the Tifosi. Since Charles Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019, he’s been the apple of every Ferrari fan’s eye. And the Qatar GP showed just how much of himself he’s ready to give to Ferrari.

The Tifosi know that there are better races to come. The Qatar GP wasn’t Ferrari’s weekend, and the fans know Leclerc did everything he could.

P5 may not seem like a good result, especially considering George Russell finished ahead of Leclerc. Even so, fans knew it was the best Leclerc could achieve.

Isn’t Leclerc a true sportsperson? He sympathized with Sainz, congratulated Verstappen, and pushed himself to the absolute limit to extract everything.

What did you think of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s performance at the Qatar GP?

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