Charles Leclerc has paid tribute to Jules Bianchi, his mentor and godfather in motorsport, on the tenth anniversary of the French driver’s tragic passing. Speaking on this emotional occasion, the Scuderia Ferrari driver recalled the profound influence Bianchi had on both his personal life and professional journey.
On the eleventh anniversary of Jules Bianchi’s death, Charles Leclerc took a moment to reflect on their close relationship by sharing memories of the time they spent together. For the Monegasque driver, Bianchi was much more than just a friend or fellow driver—he was a guiding figure whose support and example played a crucial role in helping Charles Leclerc reach Formula 1.
According to Charles Leclerc, without Bianchi’s involvement, it’s possible he might never have made it to the pinnacle of motorsport. The late Frenchman was closely involved in Leclerc’s career from a young age, helping to guide his development and instill in him a winning mindset.
Charles Leclerc explained that some of his earliest experiences in motorsport were deeply connected to Bianchi and that his approach to competition and life in general had a strong influence on him. “Jules was the most competitive person I have ever met, and I truly feel that my own competitiveness today comes from him,” Leclerc admitted.
Charles Leclerc’s memories of Bianchi
“My earliest memories of Jules are not as a racing driver, but as a person,” Charles Leclerc said. “I experienced him far more as a human being than as a professional athlete. We spent so much time together growing up. Our families were, and still are, extremely close. Jules and my older brother were best friends, so he was always around.”
He added: “Jules was about eight years older than me, roughly the same age as my brother. At the time, when I was six or seven years old, that age gap felt huge. But as I grew older, that difference seemed to fade away, and we became great friends.”
One of Leclerc’s earliest and most amusing memories involved tricking Bianchi and his brother into letting him watch his first horror film. “I have some funny stories from back then—like the time I saw my first horror movie. It was with Jules. He didn’t know I was pretending to sleep. He was checking to make sure I was asleep because he wanted to watch the movie with my older brother.”
He then reflected on the kind of person Jules Bianchi was—not just to him, but to everyone who knew him. “Jules was truly kind-hearted. He was very funny and, once you really knew him, he had his crazy moments. He was always happy to help, and always happy to have fun,” Leclerc recalled.
He also shared one of his most vivid childhood memories: “One of the clearest memories I have is probably from when I was six or seven years old. It was the first time I was allowed to drive a rental kart with Jules and my brother.”
“Normally, rental karts are meant for adults, but Jules’s father managed the karting track. So naturally, he would let us do things we technically weren’t supposed to do,” Leclerc continued. “I looked up to him so much. Racing alongside Jules, my brother, his younger brother, and many other talented karting drivers of that era was something truly special.”
“We had an incredible amount of fun. We would wait until the track closed to the public so we could go out there and drive for hours and hours. We really made the most of every minute.”
Bianchi’s relentless drive and influence
Charles Leclerc continued his trip down memory lane by highlighting the lasting impact Bianchi had on his attitude and competitive mindset.
“These are probably the most special memories I have,” he said. “Jules was the most competitive individual I’ve ever encountered, and I feel that a lot of my own competitiveness stems directly from him.”
“Whether we were racing karts or doing something completely silly at home, he was always intensely competitive. If he lost, he would get really upset.”
Charles Leclerc also described Bianchi’s obsessively driven personality. “He was the kind of person who, if he wasn’t good at something, you could be sure that one month, two months, or three months later, he would’ve trained as much as possible to improve.”
“I remember playing squash against him. At first, he was already quite a bit better than me, but a few months later, I found out he had entered a tournament with one of the top 20 players in the world,” Charles Leclerc revealed. “He had been training every single day to get better. That was something I always admired about Jules—his total commitment to self-improvement.”
“He never gave up, ever. He worked incredibly hard to get better at whatever he set his mind to. Whatever it was, he gave it everything,” the Ferrari driver continued. “I really hope Jules is remembered as the exceptionally talented driver he was—someone who, sadly, never got the chance to race for a top team or drive a car capable of showing his full potential.”
“There are certain people you can read just by looking into their eyes or seeing them smile—you can tell they’re genuinely good souls. Jules was one of those people,” Leclerc said.
“And that is probably the most important thing I remember about him,” he concluded. “How kind he was, and how determined he was to achieve his goals.”
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