Charles Leclerc is preparing for one of the most important weekends of his season, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, but during Formula 1’s summer break the Ferrari driver also had an opportunity to look beyond racing. In an interview with WWD, the Monegasque spoke about his passions, his increasingly close relationship with fashion, the projects he has developed outside motorsport and, above all, the new chapter in his family life that awaits him.
Away from Formula 1, Charles Leclerc is pursuing several personal projects, from his CL16 brand to creative studio Side Quest, alongside collaborations such as his partnership with Scotch whisky brand Chivas Regal. In Charles Leclerc’s words, that relationship has become something very different from what he originally imagined. “It’s been a very interesting journey for me,” he told WWD, explaining that the relationship with Chivas began as a conventional brand ambassador collaboration before gradually evolving into an opportunity to build more personal projects.
Charles Leclerc expands his life beyond Formula 1
One of those projects is Chivas Regal 16, which took Charles Leclerc to Scotland to experience the whisky-making process first-hand. It was important to the Ferrari driver precisely because it allowed him to move beyond the traditional role of an ambassador and take part in creating something of his own. “We created something unique for me,” Charles Leclerc explained, stressing that activities of this kind have allowed him to reveal aspects of his personality that rarely emerge during a Formula 1 race weekend.
Those interests have gradually become a significant part of Charles Leclerc’s life outside the cockpit. They sit alongside the demands of a packed Formula 1 calendar, but they also give him opportunities to explore creativity, design and other interests that are far removed from the highly structured environment of a Grand Prix weekend.
Charles Leclerc prepares for Hikaru Nakamura challenge at Monza
Among the events Charles Leclerc is most curious about is an upcoming meeting with Hikaru Nakamura. The American chess grandmaster will join the Ferrari driver for an event involving chess and SE!ZE, the strategy game developed by Charles Leclerc together with game designer James Wallis and Chivas Regal.
His interest in chess is not simply part of a commercial collaboration. Charles Leclerc explained that he is genuinely passionate about the game and has followed Hikaru Nakamura for some time, including through the grandmaster’s online streams. “It’s one of my great passions,” the Monegasque said, describing the opportunity to meet one of the world’s best players in a discipline he loves as particularly exciting.
At Monza, however, their contest will not be limited to traditional chess. Charles Leclerc will have the chance to test Hikaru Nakamura with SE!ZE, a game created around the idea of transferring some of chess’s strategic elements into a different experience.
“I don’t expect to win,” Charles Leclerc admitted with a smile, although he intends to approach the challenge believing that he might still surprise the American champion. That is also what excites him most about the encounter: not necessarily the final result, but the opportunity to discuss the game with someone who possesses such an extraordinary understanding of strategy.
The event will form another unusual element of a particularly significant week for Charles Leclerc, with Ferrari heading into its home race under intense attention. The sporting side of the weekend will remain his priority, with Ferrari facing the challenge of executing a strong Italian Grand Prix, but the chess meeting will offer a glimpse of one of the passions occupying Charles Leclerc away from the track.
Charles Leclerc’s changing relationship with fashion
Another increasingly important part of the Monegasque’s life is fashion and the evolution of his personal style. Charles Leclerc explained that his working relationship with stylist Carlotta Constant has become much closer over the past year. When they initially began collaborating, the Ferrari driver already enjoyed fashion but had never devoted much time to understanding exactly which choices suited him best. In fact, some of Carlotta Constant’s early suggestions initially seemed far too adventurous.
“I thought she was going a little too far,” Charles Leclerc recalled. Yet some of the choices that once appeared furthest removed from his own taste have gradually become the ones he now appreciates most.
The relationship between Charles Leclerc and Carlotta Constant has evolved alongside his own approach to fashion. After experimenting with different styles, the Ferrari driver now feels that he has a much clearer identity. Carlotta Constant knows which colours he prefers, the types of fit he looks for and what makes him feel comfortable. According to Charles Leclerc, that understanding has made the process of collaborating and selecting outfits far easier.
For the Monegasque, however, the process goes beyond clothing. Learning to appreciate something also involves understanding what lies behind it. It is an idea that repeatedly emerges when Charles Leclerc discusses his personal tastes: when confronted with something he initially dislikes, he prefers to understand why it was conceived in that particular way before dismissing it.
How Maison Margiela’s Tabi shoes changed Charles Leclerc’s perspective
The perfect example is Maison Margiela’s famous Tabi footwear. When Carlotta Constant first showed the shoes to Charles Leclerc, he was not particularly impressed. His initial reaction was clear: they were simply too different from what he was accustomed to wearing.
Over time, however, his view began to change. “Little by little, you look at them and look at them again,” Charles Leclerc explained, describing how repeated exposure to a new style can gradually broaden someone’s perspective.
It is an approach he applies outside fashion as well. “I like trying to understand the meaning of something that I might not appreciate at first,” the Ferrari driver explained. Learning the history or context behind an object can, in his experience, completely change the way he perceives it.
Why Japan and China inspire Charles Leclerc
That openness towards unfamiliar ideas also influences the way Charles Leclerc experiences travelling. Asia is among his favourite destinations, partly because he finds its cultures and visual identity so different from the European environment in which he grew up.
Japan particularly fascinates Charles Leclerc because of its architecture and style. The same is true of China, with both countries offering elements that continually give him new ideas. Rather than focusing only on famous landmarks or carefully planned experiences, the Ferrari driver enjoys simply walking through cities without necessarily having a specific destination.
Charles Leclerc likes observing buildings, people, shops and the smaller details of the world around him. That is where the connection between travel and fashion becomes especially important. Inspiration does not necessarily come from the most famous places or deliberately curated experiences, but from everyday details and the cultural differences he encounters while travelling.
Charles Leclerc rules out another major project for now
Despite the long list of activities he is already pursuing beyond Formula 1, Charles Leclerc does not appear interested in immediately adding another major venture to his schedule. The reason is straightforward: he is already extremely busy.
Between Formula 1, commercial partnerships, Side Quest, the CL16 brand and his other commitments, the Monegasque believes he already has enough responsibilities to manage. “Adding another would be a bit too much,” Charles Leclerc explained.
There is also a more personal reason. Family, Charles Leclerc said, occupies a fundamental place in his life, and finding the right balance between all of his commitments has become increasingly important. For the immediate future, he would therefore rather focus on what he has already built instead of continuing to increase the number of projects running alongside his Formula 1 career.
That balance is particularly relevant for a driver whose professional life involves travelling across the world for much of the year. Even beyond race weekends themselves, testing, simulator work, media duties, sponsor commitments and Ferrari responsibilities mean there are constant demands on Charles Leclerc’s time.
Charles Leclerc on fatherhood: “My life will probably change quite a lot before 2027”
The most significant moment of the interview arrived when WWD asked Charles Leclerc what people should expect from him over the coming months.
The question was clearly a reference to the pregnancy of his wife, Alexandra Saint Mleux, which the couple announced on social media. Charles Leclerc smiled and did not avoid the subject, instead allowing a single sentence to express just how close he is to a major change in his personal life.
“My life will probably change quite a lot before 2027,” Charles Leclerc admitted.
The Ferrari driver also stressed how exciting this period is for him and Alexandra Saint Mleux. The arrival of their first child will inevitably represent a major transformation for someone accustomed to spending much of the year moving between circuits, international travel and professional commitments.
It also helps explain why family has become an even more important factor in Charles Leclerc’s decisions away from Formula 1. As another demanding part of the season approaches and attention turns firmly towards Monza, the Ferrari driver is preparing not only for one of the biggest race weekends on the calendar, but also for a far more significant change in his life away from the circuit.
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