F1 | Charles Leclerc at the FIA awards: the reason behind Ferrari driver’s appearance. Charles Leclerc attended the FIA awards ceremony.

Charles Leclerc was present at the FIA awards ceremony, but why was the Ferrari driver there? The reason behind the Monegasque’s appearance has now been explained.

This year, the FIA President’s Innovation Medal celebrated a true motorsport legend: Enzo Ferrari. The prestigious award, which is presented to individuals who have contributed not only to the progress of racing but also to society as a whole, was collected by Piero Ferrari together with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. This explained the presence of the Scuderia Ferrari star at the ceremony.

The words of Mohammed Ben Sulayem

During the ceremony, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem underlined how Ferrari has always embodied “pure emotion, authentic passion, the very essence of racing. For a long time, when talking about such a prestigious award, it comes naturally to think of Enzo Ferrari. And indeed, when you look at history, Ferrari has never abandoned Formula 1: it has lived through difficult moments and glorious moments, but it has always remained,” the FIA president said.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem then highlighted the uniqueness of the Ferrari brand: “We may not always agree on the results on track, but one thing is beyond dispute: the value and the weight of this brand are recognised everywhere. And there is one unique detail that always stands out: when a Ferrari wins, the flag that is waved is not that of a country, but that of Ferrari. It happens everywhere, even in Italy. This is passion. This is devotion.”

The words of Piero Ferrari

After the FIA president’s speech, Piero Ferrari and Charles Leclerc stepped onto the stage to collect the prestigious award. “He always used to say that you cannot change the past, you can only change the future,” Piero Ferrari said when speaking about his father.

“He was always looking ahead. He was completely obsessed with racing.” Recalling a personal episode, he added: “I remember one Sunday, I was at home. He told me that we had to go immediately to the racing department, that there was work to be done. I replied: ‘But the cars are already at the French Grand Prix…’. He understood, of course, but for him there was always something to do. It was a positive obsession: doing, creating, working without ever changing attitude. Working for tomorrow. It is a message that applies to all of us,” he concluded.