Despite losing two of the most important people of his life at a very young age, Charles Leclerc has managed to achieve the highest of successes in F1. In 2014, he lost his godfather Jules Bianchi. And just three years later, he lost his father Herve Leclerc. In a recent exclusive conversation with the Gentleman’s Journal, Charles Leclerc has opened up about how he dealt with both losses.
“You can get ready mentally for many things, especially in my professional life, like how to be focused and relaxed in intense situations. But nothing really prepares you for a very difficult personal moment that you need to go through,” said the Monagasque driver.
in 2017, charles leclerc lost his father and his final days, he told his father a white lie, that he made it to formula 1, that he signed the contract, it wasn’t true then, but his driving has made it true now, and look what he’s done with the opportunity pic.twitter.com/vGB60ohhx3
— bebel (@queenoturn) June 2, 2024
Charles Leclerc remembered how his father did everything he could to get him into Formula 1 once he knew that this was what the former Sauber driver wanted the most. The 26-year-old then also mentioned Ayrton Senna as one of his earliest inspirations to pursue a career in racing and how Bianchi helped him every step of the way.
Even today, the Ferrari driver still believes that both his father and his godfather would still want the best for him.
Charles Leclerc lied to his father and then turned it into reality
While there was little doubt that Charles Leclerc would make it to F1, he was heartbroken when he knew that his father would not get to see it happen. As a result, he lied to his father that he had signed a Formula 1 contract when he hadn’t. Luckily it wasn’t long before he actually landed the contract with Sauber for the 2018 F1 season.
“I was really angry with myself for lying to him at first, but then, luckily, I signed the actual contract right after he left. I was realizing my dream, but I was also very happy to not have lied to him at the end of the day,” the 26-year-old added.
Maurizio Arrivabene:
“We were on the same flight to Baku last year and I asked him what he was doing on the flight considering what happened to him. He replied: ‘I have to win this race, then I’ll go back and bury my father.’ […]”Ladies and gentlemen, Charles Leclerc pic.twitter.com/Zh6Jb1QHJz
— Simone (@leclerchista) February 17, 2023
Leclerc then also recalled the story of how he first got to know that he would be driving for Ferrari in 2019. The Monegasque revealed that he realized the same via a prank.
Not long after his first F1 contract, former Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene called the young Monegasque to tell him that he won’t be joining the team. Unsurprisingly, the young Leclerc was disappointed to hear about the same.
But after a 15-second pause, Arrivabene told him that it was a joke and that he would be driving for Ferrari next season. And despite being overjoyed, Leclerc had to keep himself calm as he was being watched by Netflix’s cameras.
