When Charles Leclerc speaks away from the noise of Formula 1 engines, the impression is of an athlete who is constantly evolving and a young man whose curiosity extends well beyond motorsport. From music and design to his recent collaboration with Chivas Regal, through which he created “16”, a limited-edition whisky, attention to detail remains the thread connecting many of his interests.
That same philosophy also shapes the way the Ferrari driver approaches his career and personal development. Charles Leclerc explains that pushing beyond his limits does not necessarily mean chasing something dramatic. Instead, it is about controlling the details, preparing properly, learning from mistakes and trying to move in the right direction every day.
Charles Leclerc on constantly pushing his limits
You have many interests and projects, but what is your biggest challenge today?
“I don’t think there is just one. I only think about making progress and moving in the right direction. In everything. And obviously in racing.”
In this personal journey of growth, what does the idea of a limit mean to you?
“I think it’s a slightly less ‘dramatic’ concept than it might seem to someone looking at me from the outside. In my case, it’s about trying to do the best possible job in everything that is under my control.”
So it is ultimately a question of details?
“Exactly. But it is precisely when you think you have done everything in the best possible way that you have to push further in the areas that previously seemed like a limit. And I think it is always possible to do that.”
Always?
“Yes. It’s an ideal that motivates me in everything I do, from racing to projects away from the track, such as Chivas Regal 16 or SE!ZE, which we developed together.”
SE!ZE is a strategy board game, another example of how Charles Leclerc’s interests extend beyond Formula 1. Rather than seeing those activities as separate from his life as a racing driver, the Monegasque views them as part of the same broader process of curiosity, development and attention to detail.
Why Charles Leclerc sleeps on mistakes before analysing them
How do you react when you make a mistake?
“Sleeping on it is a good idea.”
Sleeping on it?
“Yes. It’s always a very good way to try to put the emotions to one side, look at the data and the facts, and then think about everything with a clear head the following day.”
It is an approach that reflects how Charles Leclerc’s relationship with mistakes and emotions has developed over the years. In an earlier discussion about mental strength, emotions and the areas he wanted to improve as a driver, Charles Leclerc had already spoken about being demanding of himself and learning to control the emotional response to setbacks.
And does it work?
“It helps me have a more objective view of what happened. To learn from the mistake. Although I think emotions are obvious and normal. There aren’t any human beings who don’t experience them, or at least I don’t think so,” Charles Leclerc added with a laugh.
The distinction is important. The objective is not to eliminate emotion altogether, but to prevent the immediate emotional response from interfering with the analysis that follows. Once the intensity of the moment has passed, data and facts can be examined more calmly, allowing a mistake to become something from which to learn rather than simply something to regret.
Charles Leclerc explains the link between instinct and preparation
Whether it is music, fashion or Chivas Regal, creative freedom is central to many of your projects. How do you reconcile that with the discipline required by your life as an athlete?
“I think they are two aspects of me that blend together. Creativity is more about instinct, while discipline is connected to preparation. But both are necessary if you want to do something well.”
How does that work?
“Preparation is something that comes before the moment when you have to make a decision. Let me explain. At different moments in my life, I’ve had to make very difficult choices quickly, relying on instinct. But when you’ve done the preparation beforehand, that’s when you know what you can rely on in those moments.”
For Charles Leclerc, instinct is therefore not presented as something completely separate from preparation. The rapid decisions that appear spontaneous are supported by the work completed beforehand. Discipline creates the foundation, while instinct becomes the mechanism used when there is no time to examine every possibility before acting.
That philosophy is particularly relevant to the way elite sport demands immediate decisions under pressure. Charles Leclerc’s emphasis, however, extends beyond racing: preparation and instinct are two complementary parts of the same approach, whether the challenge comes inside a Formula 1 cockpit or through one of his projects away from the circuit.
How Charles Leclerc’s definition of success has changed
How has your idea of success changed?
“If I think back to when I was 15, or close to 20, success was only connected to the final result. Whether it was a Grand Prix or anything else I was doing in life.”
And today?
“Today it’s more about the process. For me, success means being able to manage every situation in the way we wanted, maximising all of our potential. It’s based on growth, not just the result.”
It is a significant shift in perspective for a driver operating in a sport where results are usually the most visible measure of performance. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari career has inevitably been judged through victories, pole positions and missed opportunities, with his results at Ferrari shaped by a mixture of performance, mistakes, team decisions and circumstances. His personal definition of success, however, now places greater emphasis on whether everything within his control has been maximised.
That does not make the final result irrelevant. Instead, it broadens the criteria by which progress can be measured. Executing a situation correctly, understanding what could have been improved and extracting the available potential all become part of the process.
Charles Leclerc: better every day without chasing perfection
What does becoming a better version of yourself every day mean to you?
“It’s the message that represents my journey with Chivas Regal, ‘a better version of yourself’. It’s the same with all my personal projects.”
If you had to express that idea in a single sentence?
“It’s not easy. I would say, ‘Better every day without being perfect.’”
Why?
“Trying to be perfect is unrealistic. But moving in the right direction and taking steps forward every day is the correct approach. And that is exactly the philosophy I follow in my life.”
That principle brings together the different parts of Charles Leclerc’s approach. Mistakes are analysed after emotions have settled, instinct is supported by preparation, limits are treated as areas that can be pushed further, and success is no longer defined exclusively by the result at the end.
For Charles Leclerc, perfection is not the objective because perfection itself is unrealistic. What matters instead is direction: improving what can be controlled, learning when something goes wrong and continuing to make progress. Whether applied to Formula 1 or his interests away from racing, the underlying philosophy remains the same — becoming better without expecting to become perfect.
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