Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc on Sebastian Vettel negotiating a contract renewal with the Maranello team: “I’m happy if Seb stays in Maranello. We have a good relationship. In 2019, there were some misunderstandings but we clarified ourselves. He is a good teammate. But as I have always said, I don’t decide. I will respect the choice Ferrari will make.”
Charles about streaming on Twitch: “One thing that surprised me positively is streaming Twitch. I didn’t really expect to have so much fun. I think that for those who follow me, that is the best way to know my true self. When I am on the track there is so much pressure that it is difficult to be yourself. But on Twitch it’s different. I play with drivers I have known for a long time such as Lando, George and Alex. We can be ourselves and I enjoy it more than I thought!”
Charles about his virtual victories: “Playing well requires a lot of training. I haven’t played for a long time, but since I was able to go back to doing it I have been spending a lot of time. Probably about five hours a day. I train in the simulator to stay competitive. It helps me maintain my mental focus. Of course, we do not have the stresses on our body, such as the ‘G-Force’ when cornering in the simulator. But it still helps me keep my reflexes in shape. I want to be competitive in the simulator too, as every driver wants to be. We have fun but we take it seriously. At the moment one of the main reasons why I do this (streaming) is also to entertain people at home who are getting bored. When I race in the simulator I use glasses but they are just resting glasses. I also use them on other occasions. I need them to relieve my eye strain when I use the computer screen a lot.”
Charles’ thoughts about a shortened season: “I don’t know probably 12-13 races would be the minimum number of races to have a significant championship. Fewer than 12 is better than nothing but I think that would really be the minimum. Difficult to say if a shortened season would help me or not to win the title. We haven’t had even one qualifying session so far and we still have the testing results in our mind which didn’t go very well. We have to wait and see. Obviously having even less races, like 8 or 10, would probably push us to take more risks. It would be exciting for the audience and there may be some surprises. We would have riskier strategies and would do a few more overtakes.”
Would it be “correct” to be appointed the champion (win the title) with just a few races?
Charles (laughs) : “If I am the champion, I would still be happy. Certainly Mercedes are also favored in a season with 8 races. It wouldn’t be easy to beat them.”
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