Being a Ferrari F1 driver, Charles Leclerc is deeply loved by the Tifosi in Italy. The Monegasque driver has decided to repay the love of his beloved fans, by pledging over $110,700 to the victims of the flood-hit Emilia Romagna region.
In May 2023, the region in the heartland of Italy suffered heavy rains which caused flooding, overflowing of rivers, and landslides. As a result, the 2023 Emilia Romagna GP, which was to be held from 19 to 21 May was canceled.
Formula 1 personnel and teams have been active in the relief efforts in the area and in collecting funds. In the same way, Leclerc decided to donate his racing kit from his home race in Monaco and extend his support to the victims.
Charles Leclerc auctions Monaco GP kit to raise funds for flood victims
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc unveiled a special one-off white racing kit for his home race in Monaco. A week after the 2023 Monaco GP, he announced on his social media that he will be auctioning off at Sotheby’s, and the proceedings will go to the victims in Italy. So far, the driver had raised over $110,700.
The driver is offering his race-worn suit, gloves, helmet, and boots. Leclerc told in his video, “I hope we can collect as much money as possible to help the people in need.”
The Monegasque driver’s helmet has secured the highest bid of $69,500. This was followed by his racing suit, gloves, and boots which have received bids of $22,500, $11,760, and $7500 respectively.
Leclerc might not have secured a satisfactory result at home, finishing P6 in the Monaco GP. However, the driver’s continuation will impact the lives of many, making it a noble kit indeed.
How did other F1 drivers help flood victims in Emilia Romagna?
Charles Leclerc is not the only driver to have taken part in the relief efforts in flood-hit Emilia Romagna. Several other drivers like Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Felipe Drugovich, raised charity funds by livestreaming a virtual race.
In the hour of need, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda was the hero for the locals in Faenza. The Japanese F1 driver lent his hand in the clean-up efforts in the town AlphaTauri is based out of. Tsunoda was spotted shoveling mud and helping staff at his hotel clean up. He also shared AlphaTauri’s fundraiser for the devastation-hit locals in Faenza.
His teammate Nyck De Vries got trapped on his way to the AlphaTauri base. The driver’s road was blocked after a landslide had hit the area. He was forced to stay the night at a nearby village until the roads were cleared.
However, all the hotels in the village were booked. All the hotels in the area were converted into shelter homes for the needy. Fortunately, a McLaren mechanic offered the driver his room.
Formula 1 drivers have shared fundraisers to raise money for the affected. Apart from that F1 themselves pledged to donate over $1 Million to the families of the flood-hit victims. Ferrari, who is based in Maranello, raised over $1 Million for the cause.
The situation in Emila Romagna has improved. Over 15 people have lost their lives and 50,000 locals have been displaced due to the floods. Over $7.5 Billion worth of damages have been incurred due to the disaster.
