Ferrari Wants No Distractions For Charles Leclerc, Prohibiting Him From Every Driver’s Dream

Ferrari have made it two wins on the trot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their #50 499P taking the chequered flag before Toyota at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a dream race for every racing driver as it tests both their speed and endurance. However, when it comes to Ferrari, they would not want Charles Leclerc to compete in the event and instead focus solely on F1.

Speaking about a potential one-off appearance for the factory team at the race in the future, Ferrari’s chairman John Elkann has firmly shut that door for the #16 driver. In the past, former F1 drivers have triumphed on the iconic tarmac of the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Many of them have been Ferrari drivers as well (Fernando Alonso (2018 and 2019) and Antonio Giovanazzi (2023). But Leclerc won’t be emulating them anytime soon.

“Charles [Leclerc] has a lot to do already in Formula 1 and we must not distract him,” explained Elkann as per Nextgen-Auto. While Ferrari are not interested in dividing the Monegasque’s focus, Leclerc himself is keen to try his hand at Le Mans someday in the future.

Charles Leclerc expresses desire to compete at Le Mans in the future

When asked about his thoughts on competing at the iconic endurance event, the #16 driver was pretty enthusiastic about his prospects. However, like Elkann, Leclerc also was concerned about the current F1 calendar and the effect it could have on his competitiveness.

Formula1.com quoted him as saying, “I would love to do Le Mans one day. I think we all have the same problem. The programme in Formula 1 now is crazy, and we’ve got very little time spare to prepare properly for a race like Le Mans because if I do Le Mans, I want to arrive there ready to go and win.”

Charles Leclerc even has his teammate figured out. The 2024 Monaco GP winner is eager to partner with his brother, Arthur Leclerc, at the biggest stage of endurance racing.