Charles Leclerc wants Le Mans with Ferrari: Antonello Coletta explains why time hasn’t come yet. Antonello Coletta on why Charles Leclerc cannot race in Le Mans with Ferrari for now.

For some time now, F1 driver Charles Leclerc has expressed his desire to race at Le Mans, the most famous endurance race in the world, with the legendary Ferrari 499P. During the World Finals held in October at Imola, Antonello Coletta, Head of the Maranello team in the endurance world, spoke about this.

The WEC, along with Formula 1, is one of the most widely followed championships by the public. It hosts the biggest car manufacturers, among which Ferrari has made its return, and races on the most historic and beautiful circuits in the world. It also includes one of the world’s most famous races that is part of the Triple Crown: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Winning that race places a driver officially in the history of motorsport. Charles Leclerc also wants to enter that hall of fame, perhaps behind the wheel of the car that won the last two editions. However, the situation doesn’t seem as simple as some might think.

Antonello Coletta, who manages the Ferrari Endurance team, doesn’t make concessions. “We know well that Charles Leclerc would like to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans someday. However, I believe that, at this moment, he is fully absorbed by F1.” – the Italian manager concluded.

“We are considering a lineup of drivers who can defend Ferrari’s colors in all the championship races. Bringing in a driver just for one weekend would mean that one of the regulars would lose important points. Such a choice would mean penalizing the crew competing for the whole season.”

“Usually, when we field cars with special guests, we have an additional car,” Antonello Coletta continues. “At the moment, that is not planned.” Despite having a third car, the #83, Coletta emphasizes that he wants a lineup that competes the entire season.

A Leclerc is already present in the endurance world. We’re talking about Arthur Leclerc, Charles’s younger brother, who races in the ELMS and the Italian GT Championship, driving a Ferrari 296 GT3. The young driver will have the opportunity to test the 499P during rookie tests in Bahrain.

“Arthur is a Ferrari driver. At the moment, he is not one of the choices for next year. His endurance experience began this year, and our goal with him is to help him grow and prepare as best as possible for a potential debut in Hypercar.”