Charles Leclerc stands as one of the most likable drivers on the F1 grid, owing largely to his unwavering faith and belief in Ferrari. Despite the struggles, Leclerc asserts he will continue driving for the team in the hopes of winning the championship with them. Speaking about how they came across the talent of Leclerc, Ex-Director of the Ferrari Driver Academy Massimo Rivola revealed it was Jules Bianchi who bought the team’s attention on the Monegasque, as seen in a video clip uploaded on X by user ‘Leclerc Data.‘
“Sincerely, I didn’t discover Charles [Leclerc]. But there’s a person who’s named Jules Bianchi, that today is no longer with us, and he always talked about him.”
While praising Leclerc for having the rare perfect mix of talent, hunger, and determination “that few have,” Rivola added Bianchi would always talk about Leclerc and how good he was until his tragic accident in 2014. The French driver was one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents in F1 at the time, and the Marussia driver was on course to land a seat in Ferrari, but the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix incident meant the move would never take shape.
4 years ago, Forever in our hearts, Jules @Jules_Bianchi ❤️ @Charles_Leclerc: “Every time someone remembers him, It makes me smile. He was a great driver and a great person. And if I can make people remember him, then I am very very happy about that.” #ForeverJules #JB17 pic.twitter.com/cJqNfPBsnC
— Charles Leclerc #16 Fan Page (@LeclercNews16) July 17, 2019
Bianchi was best friends with Leclerc’s older brother, and the three of them spent most of their time hanging out together. The Frenchman even took Leclerc to the Ferrari factory in Maranello, but the 12-year-old future Ferrari driver did not get permission to enter the premises.
When Leclerc’s father couldn’t afford to support his racing career anymore, Bianchi stepped in to fill the void and became Leclerc’s Godfather. Given Ferrari’s interest in signing Bianchi and his admiration of the young Monegasque, representatives of the team kept a keen eye on him and liked what they saw, deciding to bring him on board their ship.
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have formed a near unbreakable bond
Praising Leclerc for being an exceptional talent, Rivola claimed he brings out “something extra” from within him whenever the need arises. The Monegasque has been a part of the Ferrari family since 2016 but became their driver in 2019. Since then, the 26-year-old has won five Grands Prix, stepping on the podium a further 25 times. In all his starts for Ferrari, Leclerc started from pole position 23 times but hasn’t been able to capitalize on the advantage as much as he would like.
Charles Leclerc on the podium – a thread ✨ pic.twitter.com/SQD5N7hZEa
— Ferrari Girl (@girl_ferrarii) December 11, 2023
Despite a staggering downfall compared to the 2022 season, Leclerc plans to continue racing for the Prancing Horse in hopes of winning the championship with them before thinking about lending his services to another team. With six podiums and 206 points to his name in 2023, Leclerc finished the season in P5 in the drivers’ standings, equal on points with 4th-placed Fernando Alonso and just one point ahead of Lando Norris.
