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Leclerc, Ferrari and the false prophecy of 2022

by: Luke Entwistle
11/10/2022

Under the floodlights of Sakhir, Ferrari fans worldwide revelled in a moment of catharsis. Pre-season expectations were realised; Charles Leclerc was atop the podium. But that was as good as it got.

Fans of the prancing horse went into this season with an unusual sensation: hope. Following over a decade of mediocrity, the signs from pre-season testing were more than encouraging. Pundits and experts alike had heavily tipped them for a strong season.

Having given up early on last year’s model, preparations for the sweeping set of rule changes that were brought in for the 2022 season were made early. The horse had essentially bolted out of the starting gate before their rivals, and the result was a car that looked unpeered at the opening race in Bahrain in late march.

The stars seemed to have aligned for Ferrari, and for Leclerc. The prophecy was written, the world title beckoned. But as the season wore on, it slowly and agonisingly became more apparent that this prophecy would not be fulfilled.

A visual metaphor

If one is looking for an explanation for Ferrari’s shortcomings, one needn’t look any further than the image of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull and Leclerc’s Ferrari side-by-side following Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix. For Leclerc, it was the race in which the bell finally tolled on his lifeless championship aspirations; for Max Verstappen, it represented a just reward for an imperious season.

The state of Ferrari’s heavily worn, degraded intermediate tyres, juxtaposed with the relatively fresh set on Perez’s Red Bull, provided the perfect visual metaphor. It is here, more so than elsewhere, where the title was won and lost, whilst the contrast only goes to highlight the development of the Red Bull, and the stasis of the Ferrari, which has struggled to keep pace with their ever-improving, run-away rivals. The Italian manufacturer may have had the edge in March, but that is certainly no longer the case.

Tyre degradation was a season-long thorn in Ferrari’s side. Whilst, at least at the beginning of the season, Ferrari had the pace over the Red Bull, their difficulties with tyre management have persisted. Unable to prolong their stints on any tyre compound, Ferrari essentially handed Red Bull a strategic carte blanche that they duly profited from over the course of the campaign.

Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at the Japanese Grand Prix. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

Squandered opportunities 

The degradation issue is a mitigating factor for Ferrari, but it doesn’t wholly explain their inability to profit from a position of strength. On numerous occasions, most glaringly in Leclerc’s home Grand Prix in Monaco and then at Silverstone, Ferrari simply made the wrong calls at the wrong time.

Perhaps the most costly error, both in terms of morale and in tangible points-terms, was the one made during the British Grand Prix. Ferrari’s call to keep race leader Leclerc out, whilst everyone else pitted, was a moment of folie from the Italian manufacturer. Not only did it cost him a likely win, but at the mercy of a whole grid of cars on fresher tyres; he even lost his place on the podium. The Monégasque had looked set for a 23-point swing against championship rival Verstappen; ultimately the gap was closed by just six points. Verstappen had been let off the hook.

Looking to make up for those team errors, Leclerc was guilty of pushing too hard at the French Grand Prix three weeks later, as he lost the rear end whilst leading the race. Arguably, however, at that point, the championship was already gone.

Leclerc’s evolving tones 

For the first time, resignation started to seep into Leclerc’s post-race discourse. Gone was the start of season optimism, as was the anger and disappointment that was evident during the beginning of the European season, despite Leclerc’s attempted concealment of such emotions.

By the time the Belgian Grand Prix came around in late August, Leclerc admitted that the gap between him and Verstappen was “really big”. The Monégasque driver added that Ferrari would “take it race by race”, a trite comment synonymous with “the title race is over”.

Leclerc’s discourse has evolved further in recent weeks, perhaps just to give some semblance of meaning to the remainder of the season, or perhaps in genuine hope of launching a better title challenge in 2023.

“I want to use these last races to improve our execution and I think that we made a step in the right direction today,” said Leclerc following his second-place finish in Singapore.

For Leclerc therefore, the remaining four races on this season’s F1 calendar will be pedagogical experiences for himself and his team. Whilst the prophecy wasn’t fulfilled this year, there is no reason why Leclerc and Ferrari can’t learn from this season’s mistakes and construct a more lasting title challenge in 2023.

 

Photo by Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

 

 

 

 

ISM to host second TedX Youth

by: Stephanie Horsman
11/10/2022

A TedX Youth event, organised by and for young people based on the successful Ted Talks model, will be held at the International School of Monaco, where kids can learn to confidently speak in public on the theme of ‘Dream it. Wish it. Do it.’

TEDx Youth is part of the global phenomenon of independently-organised TED talk-like conferences celebrating “ideas worth spreading”, but this one is exclusively for young people.

The International School of Monaco (ISM) will take part for the second time, after last year’s successful talk on ‘Mistakes that Changed the World’, which has been viewed over 11,000 times on YouTube.

This year’s event, the only TedX Youth one being held in the Principality, will take place on 15th October at 2pm in the ISM cafeteria in front of a live audience and on camera, and will feature nine students aged 10 to 17 years speaking on the theme, as well as a showing of selected TED videos and musical entertainment.

The benefits of the event are numerous, not only giving young people the opportunity to get used to public speaking, a valuable life skill, but also showing that Monaco’s educational landscape is producing innovators and educators for the future. Training of this sort helps in later life for university and job interviews, as well as in the professional realm where confidence in speech can make the difference in getting a project made or sealing the deal.

Registration and more information is available online at www.ismonaco.com

 

 

Photo source: ISM

 

 

 

 

Festival of the Stars returns to Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
11/10/2022

The chefs who will feature in this year’s Festival of the Stars have been announced. Britain’s Clare Smyth, Australia’s Shaun Hergatt, France’s Bruno Verjus and Italy’s Davide Oldani will join Monaco’s Michelin-starred chefs for a series of extraordinary dining experiences.  

One can barely throw a stone without hitting a Michelin-starred restaurant in Monaco these days. Diners have irresistible choices like never before, so it takes something truly special to create a serious buzz.

That buzz is here. After a successful launch in 2021, the Monte-Carlo Festival of the Stars (Festival des Etoilés Monte-Carlo) is returning to the Principality this autumn. Monte-Carlo SBM is once again giving foodies a chance to sample menus prepared by four Michelin-star chefs who have each invited a special guest to join them to create unforgettable culinary experiences.

It all kicks off on Friday 2nd September at Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris where the man himself, Alain Ducasse, will collaborate with his chef Emmanuel Pilon and triple-Michelin star awardee Clare Smyth for a special lunch and dinner service. British Smyth was trained under the legendary Ducasse early in her career, and has gone on to open her own establishment, Core by Clare Smyth, where she became the first woman in Britain to obtain a third Michelin-star for her work.

Monaco’s chefs: Alain Ducasse, Marcel Ravin, Dominique Lory and Yannick Alleno

Next up on 7th October will be the dynamic duo of Monte-Carlo Bay’s Marcel Ravin and modernist Australian chef Shaun Hergatt. Ravin’s Caribbean-infused cuisine has made him his name and earned him two Michelin stars, making him one of Monaco’s most popular chefs.

Hergatt, now a New York transplant, has won both Best Young Chef and Best New Restaurant awards from the New York Times, the Michelin Guide and Esquire Magazine. His creativity is the ideal foil to Ravin’s exotic fare.

Then on 15th October, Yannick Alleno and Bruno Verjus team up for a night to remember. It wasn’t long ago that three-starred Alleno opened his new-look restaurant, Pavyllon Monte-Carlo, at the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo where he is making magic every day.

He is joined by businessman turned food writer turned Chef Bruno Verjus. Verjus was in his 50s when he opened his first eatery, Table, and is now one of France’s most respected chefs, winning his second Michelin star this year.

Finally, on 21st and 22nd October, Executive Chef of the Hôtel de Paris’ Le Grill, Dominique Lory, will be joined by Davide Oldani for two spectacular nights. Lory worked alongside Alain Ducasse for many years, earning him accolades and skills.

Italian chef Oldani is bringing his “cucina pop” to Monaco, showcasing his delicious flavours and uncomplicated recipes to the Principality’s fine diners, for a night sure to dazzle.

For more info on the events and to book reservations, visit the website.

 

SEE ALSO: 

FESTIVAL OF STARS FINALE: AN EXQUISITE CELEBRATION OF SBM FINE DINING

YANNICK ALLÉNO UNVEILS PAVYLLON MONTE-CARLO

 

 

This article was originally published on 15th August

 

 

 

 

The best international school designs for Ventimiglia revealed

by: Cassandra Tanti
10/10/2022

Four design proposals for the future international school, Borgo del Forte Campus, in Ventimiglia have been selected, with the final project forming a major aspect of the new urban redevelopment project that is transforming Ventimiglia.

On 23rd September, the Marina Development Corporation (MDC), an urban redevelopment company, examined the design proposals of four Italian architectural firms for the construction of the Borgo del Forte Campus in the Campasso di Nervia area in Ventimiglia.

The Borgo del Forte Campus will be situated in the former Campasso railway yard, near the mouth of the Nervia river.

The Borgo del Forte Campus is designed to fit strategically into the overall plan to relaunch the city of Ventimiglia through the new high-end development project, Marina di Ventimiglia, and the Borgo del Forte aspect that is planned for the rear port of the city.

The Borgo del Forte Campus will cover a total of 42,000 square metres and include a sports centre with indoor swimming pool that can be used all year round, a fully equipped gym, changing rooms, services and a dedicated club house, as well as a multifunctional area for indoor/outdoor activities and some tennis courts, all open to the public.

International school design by MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects

A multi-level building will be built next to the sports centre to house the international school – the heart of the Campus. To the south, the 1,600 square metre former railway depot building will be renovated and used as a conference centre with conference room, exhibition/fair area, and offices, all overlooking a large green park.

Finally, the former guesthouse will be renovated and used as an accommodation facility for athletes, students and teachers, and the third existing building will be equipped for reception services, offices and cafeteria. The Campus will also be able to take advantage of over 3,000 square meters of parking.

The following four Italian architectural firms were chosen for their designs: Atelier Alfonso Femia, MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects, One Works and Lombardini22 studios. By the end of the year, the design projects will be presented to the international school operator currently being selected by MDC for the management of the Campus.

Sports centre design by MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects

“It is a great pleasure to have received today in Ventimiglia four of the best architectural firms in Italy who presented their design proposals for Borgo del Forte Campus, all of great value and responding to the requests made during the tender,” said MDC CEO Giuseppe Noto. “This confirms the relevance and quality of the Marina di Ventimiglia urban regeneration project, which we have been carrying out with local and regional administrations for almost two years, for the relaunch of western Liguria through a new hotel, residential and educational-sporting offer.”

Borgo del Forte Campus is an integral part of Marina di Ventimiglia, the large urban regeneration project presented in April last year by MDC, aimed at creating a new tourist destination on the seafront of the western Ligurian city and breathing new life to the Italian Riviera.

Project design by MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects

Marina di Ventimiglia will be developed on a total area of ​​57,000 square metres, with an investment of over €200 million, and it includes several ambitious projects, the main one being Borgo del Forte. It forms part of ​​Marina San Giuseppe which is located behind the port of Cala del Forte, inaugurated last summer and owned by the Port of Monaco. Here will be built a five-star hotel with 25 suite rooms, as well as gym, wellness centre, restaurant, and 130 apartments for sale, all equipped with large terraces. The intention is to create a community that is active and lively all year round.

Other main developments include the construction of a panoramic restaurant called La Rocca, which is close to being built, and Club Italia, transforming the former ACI building into a food and beverage centre of excellence.

 

Click on the images below…

 

 

 

 

 

Eileen Gray villa restoration earns EU Heritage Prize

by: Stephanie Horsman
10/10/2022

A €6 million project by Cap Moderne to return the famous Eileen Gray villa, E-1027 in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, to its former glory has been awarded the European Heritage Prize in Prague.

A marvel of the modern movement in the late 1920s, Villa E-1027, conceived and built by Irish architect Eileen Gray, put Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the map. It’s clean lines and minimalist design were ground breaking and paved the way for many other similar houses in the region.

Sadly, after decades of environmental stress and general neglect, the house was not in the best shape, prompting the association Cap Moderne to take charge of the site and restore this jewel to its former glory.

The project, funded by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region’s Department of Cultural Affairs, the Conservatoire du Littoral and the Getty Foundation USA, has not only restored the house, but has turned it into a museum dedicated to Eileen Gray’s architectural skills, as well as to her talents as a furniture designer. The house boasts upward of 180 pieces made by Gray during her years living there.

At a total cost of more than €6 million, the finished project will be run by France’s National Monuments Centre alongside the Eileen Gray-Etoile de Mer-Le Courbusier Association, presided over by Magda Rebutato.

The extensive renovations included structural repairs using a technique that prevents corrosion of the reinforced concrete exteriors and the use of craftsmen from six different countries who repaired damaged furniture and fittings manually to retain authenticity.

On 26th September, Heritage Architect Claudia Devaux accepted the European Heritage Prize awarded for the project in Prague.

“Villa E-1027 is an iconic building of modernist architecture. It’s complete restoration, including advanced systems to avoid corrosion, is exemplary for the future preservation of modernist architecture, a type of architecture that is too often pushed for demolition. It’s laudable restoration rightfully pays homage to Eileen Gray, an important modernist architect and furniture designer,” said the Award’s Jury.

 

 

Photo about credit: Manuel Bougot

 

 

 

Louise Grether: “Monaco is officially an art destination”

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/10/2022
louise grether by monaco life

Louise Grether has forged a strong reputation in the Monaco art world, initially opening Artcurial’s first gallery space in the Principality before realising the same milestone for Sotheby’s auction house this summer.

The British-native spoke to Monaco Life about the strides made here in the art scene, and how demand among a younger generation of residents is driving the Principality towards a very vibrant  future.

Monaco Life: What made you make the move from Artcurial to Sotheby’s?

Louise Grether: Well, I was ready for a new challenge. Sometimes you have to push yourself into something that you wouldn’t naturally do. I was so attached to Artcurial, I really was, I found it so difficult to make that decision. But I was ready for a new challenge and I could see that it was something similar to what I had done in the past – moving from an office to a gallery space, and I knew I could do it. Sotheby’s is also the number one auction house worldwide, so it made sense. Meanwhile, Mark Armstrong has been here for 40 years, he’s a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge and context.

Can you describe for us some of the big changes you have seen in the Monaco art world since you arrived in the Principality seven years ago?

I think with the opening of the mega galleries, such as Hauser and Wirth, the art offering in Monaco is really stepping up now and people really consider it as an art destination. It’s always had a lot to offer on the cultural side: the ballet, the opera, et cetera. And now they have these great galleries.

I’m the president of Monaco Art Week, which is an association for all the galleries and institutions to unite under for joint events, and we noticed that this year, which is the 4th year, we’ve had an awful lot of interest and success. Art Monte-Carlo was also a great success at the Grimaldi Forum. There are a lot of new residents moving in; there’s a younger crowd. People are starting to buy art here and show us the most wonderful collections that maybe they would have shown in the past at Paris or London.

So, this year’s Monaco Art Week was a success?

Absolutely. It’s a lot of collaboration, which is very important, because we’re all different galleries here offering totally different styles of art. Even in terms of Sotheby’s and Artcurial, it’s probably quite rare that we’ll come into competition with each other, so we must all work together for the good of the Principality at the end of the day. There are no points for working on the sides. We can really collaborate and operate together and that was the principle behind Monaco Art Week.

Is it a similar situation in other cities, or do you think this collaborative approach is unique to Monaco because of its size?

In London, for example, there is Mayfair Art Week, which is very similar; there’s Marrakesh Art Week, and Paris Art Week on a larger scale. But in Monaco, we are such a small Principality, it’s so condensed that you can actually go around the whole of Monaco in one day with your collectors and seek out the best artworks. And it’s wonderful that Hauser and Wirth are here, it is such a great gallery, and I’m sure more will come. In fact, I have no doubt – I’ve heard of one or two large galleries who are thinking of coming, big names that are actively looking for space.

I also think that here in Monaco, we must focus on educating people, and one of our goals here at Sotheby’s is to make sure that everybody is welcome. We organise little workshops to talk to people; we organise masterclasses on Sotheby’s diamonds, for example; we’re permanently organising workshops with our luxury experts who are coming in to talk about how to start a collection, et cetera. Hauser and Wirth do it well, they organise a series of lectures. At Artcurial, we used to arrange workshops for six or seven ladies who would come with their handbags and we would show them how to spot a fake, we’d also talk about it from an investment point of view – ‘Are these bags really worth buying and holding on to?’ It’s all very interesting.

Sotheby’s selling exhibition of works by Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne this summer. Photo by Monaco Life

What is your vision for Sotheby’s Monaco?

We have a very interesting calendar of events. We have just had local Franco-Iranian artist Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar, a wonderful contemporary artist, for the month of September. Then at the end of September during the Monaco Yacht Show we had some old masters come in, some wonderful works for a week. We’re also collaborating with Alexander Kraft, owner of Sotheby’s Real Estate France and Monaco. He has a clothing line and he’s very into luxury: he has a wonderful collection of watches and cars. So, we will be organising an expertise day at his hotel La Maison Bleue in the Var where he is going to show his clothing line in October.

I think we really must bring in new and interesting ideas connected to art. It has to be a place that’s vivant, as you say French. That’s why it’s important to do it in Monaco, because people want to come here and live the lifestyle.

Do Sotheby’s host auctions in Monaco?
They haven’t hosted any auctions in Monaco – apart from Karl Lagerfeld because they were obliged to host one auction in Monaco. The auctions are held in Paris.

We’re not ruling out any auctions that might make sense in Monaco in the future. But everything in this gallery is for private sale, so that’s a different way of working. It’s a different way of negotiating with people, of deciding with clients whether they want to put something in a private sale or at auction. I think a lot of people prefer to sell it private sale, or at least have the choice, because it’s more confidential, there’s possibly more of a guarantee – you’re not taking quite the risk that you might if you’re putting something at auction with an attractive estimation.

Sotheby’s are very flexible and they’re definitely working with the times. Everything is digitalised, there are no catalogues these days. It’s difficult for some people, particularly for the older generation. But that’s the way it is today – everything is quick and immediate. Buy now. That’s why I admire Sotheby’s, they took the plunge and it works.

What about digital finance and NFTs?

Yes, they’re leaders in NFTs, crypto and digital. But I don’t think it’s coming to Monaco just yet, I need to understand that a bit more. I prefer to focus on the physical object.

In terms of the current geopolitical situation and Covid-19, what impact have those had on the art market?

I would say they’ve had a very positive impact because people are seeing art as a safe haven, a good investment – we’ve never had such great sales. The auction houses, if you look at their results, haven’t suffered at all. It’s very interesting, actually. But I think it’s a safe investment for most people, even things like watches and jewellery, and particularly diamonds this year.

Where do you see the future of the art industry in Monaco, and what are you most excited about?

I feel very positive about it and I know that everyone I’ve spoken to here, the directors of the galleries, we’re all in this very positive movement to make sure that Monaco is really stamped on the map as a place to be for the art market, and I can only see things getting better.

There are a lot of people who really want to make it work here, and I know that even collectors have changed their mindset about what’s on offer here. And that’s one of the first steps, I think. From what I can see, they’re really respecting what the galleries are doing in Monaco and how things are developing,

SEE ALSO:

Podcast interview: Artist Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar

 

Photo of Louise Grether at Sotheby’s Monaco, credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life