Charles Leclerc: "I would like my brother to be in F1, but not as my teammate"

Charles Leclerc: “I would like my brother to be in F1, but not as my teammate”. Charles on his brother Arthur.

Double commitment
The 2023 Formula One season promises to be particularly intense and stressful for the Leclerc family. In addition to Charles, who is starting his starting his fifth F1 championship with Scuderia Ferrari and is pursuing that world title which would be the first in his career and would break a curse that has lasted for the Prancing Horse since 2007, his brother Arthur is also traveling the world aboard a racing single-seater. Having taken part in the Formula 3 for the last two seasons, where he obtained a tenth and a sixth place in the general standings, he younger brother of the Ferrari man will try to shine in the series which historically has the role of ‘hunting ground’ for the Formula 1 teams.

Illustrious precedents
Charles Leclerc has always been the biggest fan of his little brother and has never failed to support him in the stages of his career, but could the perception of him change if Arthur really manages to make his debut in Formula 1? The last and most famous brothers to have raced together in the sport were Michael and Ralf Schumacher. The successes secured by the Kaiser are obviously incomparable to those of his younger brother, but the former driver of Jordan, Williams and Toyota was also able to impress at times, collecting a total of six victories in his career. The current Ferrari #16 would be thrilled to challenge his younger brother on the track, but he also revealed – somewhat surprisingly – that he would never want to have him as a teammate.

Never in the same team
“I wish we could both be together on the starting grid in Formula 1 one day. It’s not impossible” – Charles Leclerc explained in an interview with the TV program En Aparté, broadcast by Canal+ – “I think I would never accept being his teammate, because being teammates is more complicated, but being on the same starting grid would be great” – the Monegasque admitted.

A situation, the one hoped for by Charles Leclerc, which would mirror precisely the one experienced by the Schumacher brothers between 1997 and 2006. Certainly a possible duel on the track between the two Leclerc brothers would be a particular circumstance to experience for Charles: “With Pierre [Gasly ] we have always been great friends, but when the visor is down there is no more friendship. Arthur is my brother, so I don’t know how I would react.”