In a recent interview for challenges.fr, Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc talked about his love for Ferrari and the dream of winning a Formula 1 title with the Maranello team, his battles with Max Verstappen which date back to their karting days, how the tragic moments in his life affected his growth as a person and Ferrari’s reliability issues and strategy calls in this first part of the 2022 Formula 1 season:
Winning a title with Ferrari is the dream of a lifetime…
Charles Leclerc: “Of course it is. Already winning a title is, but even more so with Ferrari. It’s such a mythical team. There is so much pressure which makes it super complicated, but it also makes the successes even more beautiful. There is so much passion around the world for Ferrari that yes, I think it is the dream of every driver on the grid, to win a title with Ferrari.”
As a Monégasque, what is your relationship with France and Italy?
Charles Leclerc: “I already speak French. When I won in Formula 2, they played the French anthem for me (laughs). My biggest connection with France is that everything started here for me in motorsport. I started in Brignoles, 60 km from Le Castellet. Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday when I didn’t have school, I came here with my father. But I also spent a good part of my childhood in Italy. After the early days in France, I spent 10 years in Italy. I grew up with Italians in my teenage years, so yes, I feel Italian too.”
You went through some tragic moments in your life, with the death of your father and two drivers you were close to, your godfather Jules Bianchi and your friend Anthoine Hubert. Did this make you grow up?
Charles Leclerc: “Yes, I think so. Although I am still a young man, I have a maturity that is perhaps different from some of my friends, because of my career path, not only professional but above all my life, with unfortunately some sad events. But these are stages that have made me grow as a person and as a driver, because I have developed a level of maturity that is a little bit different from a normal life.”
Is staying calm in difficult moments your greatest strength?
Charles Leclerc: “It’s clearly a strength. It wasn’t something that came naturally to me. I had to work a lot, especially when I was young. I talked a lot about the Formula Medicine centre, where they did a lot of mental preparation when I was younger. In those years I grew a lot & it helped me for the rest of my career. It’s true that in difficult situations, I manage to remain calm and that’s important.”
What is it like to fight Max Verstappen, who is considered aggressive on track?
Charles Leclerc: “I’ve always been an aggressive driver too, so I don’t mind these battles. I’ve always enjoyed these battles at the edge of the regulations. It’s cool that after all the years in karting together, 10-15 years ago, we are now in Formula 1, fighting for a championship.”
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Despite your excellent start to the season, Ferrari’s reliability and strategy cost you dearly in the title fight…
Charles Leclerc: “It’s true: Barcelona we were in the lead, the engine broke, Monaco the strategy, Baku the engine, Montreal the penalty and then Silverstone the strategy. An accumulation like that was not easy to manage. But each time, we were in a position to win, so the potential was there. And I always kept my motivation. I’m even happier because the first normal race since then, we won in Austria. I am confident that if we don’t have any other major problems we can catch up.”
Do you feel like a favourite or an outsider in the title fight?
Charles Leclerc: “In terms of performance, we are favourites, but we have had some problems which make us more of an outsider than a favourite. But I believe in the title. If we do everything perfectly until the end of the season, the performance is there for us to win the championship, so I will believe in it until the end.”
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