Charles Leclerc is one of the most talented and popular F1 stars today, but his journey to the top hasn’t been easy. At a very young age, he had to deal with the loss of two of the most important people in his life.
First, his godfather and close friend Jules Bianchi passed away after a fatal crash at the 2014 Japanese GP. Just three years later, when he was fighting for the F2 world championship, his father passed. In spite of these personal challenges, he has gone on to become a superstar in Formula 1.
However, when he was a child, there were times when his mother was skeptical about him pursuing his dream of becoming an F1 driver. It is a dangerous sport, and Bianchi, who was a close friend of the Leclerc family, passing away because of a crash in F1, may have put a lot of negative thoughts in their heads.
Nevertheless, racing out on track made Leclerc happy, which in turn made his mother happy. That is why they allowed him to pursue his dream, which he has.
Leclerc’s relationship with Jules Bianchi
Bianchi’s passing was one of the most infamous and heartbreaking moments in F1 history. The Frenchman was driving for Marussia at the 2014 Japanese GP when the safety car was brought out under treacherously wet conditions. He lost control of his car while going at a high speed and hit a recovery crane that was out on track.
Leclerc’s family was very close to Bianchi, and they even named him Charles’ godfather. When he passed away in 2015 due to the fatal injuries he suffered, Leclerc was very affected. To this date, the Monegasque driver thinks about him, and often posts messages and tributes in his memory.
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Charles Leclerc not going to school worried his parents
When Leclerc was growing up, it wasn’t just his dream to make it to F1, but also his father’s. Herve Leclerc was a racing driver himself but never made it as far as F1. However, he wanted his son to do what he couldn’t and played a huge role in that.
Regardless, Leclerc missing school because he had to attend races was something that worried his parents. The only reason behind this was the uncertainty, because reaching F1 is extremely difficult for any driver.
In an interview with Canal+, he admitted that his parents were ‘very stressed’ because of him missing multiple days at school. This was in spite of the fact that his parents supported his racing career and wanted him to reach Formula 1 someday!
