F1 driver Charles Leclerc says his mother often gets worried about the safety of her son and talks to him ahead of races.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc joined Formula 1 in 2018 after winning Formula 2 in his rookie year. Being a part of motorsport since childhood, he understands how dangerous the world of high-speed racing already is.
Leclerc lost his friend and mentor Jules Bianchi during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Jules died due to a collision with a recovery vehicle. And this had an impact on Charles who was very close to Bianchi.
Although it did not deter Charles’s childhood dream to race in F1, it made him aware of the dangers. And the Ferrari driver revealed that even his mother gets afraid ahead of races.
Charles said his mom, Pascal would often call him ahead of races since his F3 days. But Leclerc told she would never demoralise him from racing because “She knows I’m the happiest once I’m in that car.”
Mattia with Charles Leclerc and Charles’s mother, Pascale pic.twitter.com/FESEfAKwlG
— Out of Context Mattia Binotto (@OfMattia) February 17, 2021
Leclerc said, “It’s tough on my mother. And I don’t know what to tell her other than: I love what I do. There’s nothing, in particular, I can say to make her feel better.”
He adds, “I’m not going to say I’ll be careful. That wouldn’t be true. I’m going to give it my best, whatever. She knows It’s a dangerous sport. It’s got massively safer through the years. But it will remain forever a dangerous sport.”
Leclerc’s younger brother, Arthur, is a racing driver as well. He is currently competing in Formula 3 with Prema Racing. And just like the older brother, Arthur too is not spared from his mother’s care.
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Charles Leclerc loves to spend time with his family
Charles Leclerc is one of the best drivers in the current F1 grid. And the Ferrari driver has been this good since his early days in Karting.
Leclerc began his karting career in 2005 at the age of 7. He was inspired by his dad Herve Leclerc who was a racing driver during his youth.
And during his time karting on the track at Brignoles, France, Leclerc met his friend and mentor Jules Bianchi. Jules had a deep impact on Charles’s life and paved his way into Ferrari’s driver Academy.
if you asked 16 years old charles what his dream was…
that kid must be really proud ❤️ pic.twitter.com/CVg3Dw0sL3
— 🆑 (@leclercdata) August 4, 2022
And outside the race track, Charles’ mother Pascal has been a constant source of love and motivation for the Monegasque. She has visited him during races and even cheered for Leclerc from the crowd.
And after the passing of his dad in 2017, Leclerc has gotten closer to his mother. Despite having to race in F1 at weekends, he loves her dearly and enjoys time with family in Monaco during the non-race weekends.
He said, “My dad helped me massively to get where I am now. If I could go back in time, I would enjoy the time more. Because once you lose the person, it‘s too late. I learned from that. Now I can do that with my brothers, my mom.”
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