In his seventh season as an F1 driver, Charles Leclerc has finally achieved a coveted milestone. The Ferrari driver has won at both his home races — Monaco and Monza — in the same season. The brilliant drives on both occasions highlight why he’s considered one of the best talents in F1. However, Leclerc recently revealed his ambitions beyond F1.
Leclerc, like many other F1 drivers, has expressed his desire to test his skill in the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans. Many past and present F1 drivers have participated in and even won Le Mans. The lure toward the crown jewel of endurance racing has attracted many including the Monegasque’s peer Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman has also been vocal about participating in Le Mans someday and for that, he is also willing to retire early from F1. As for Leclerc, GP Blog quoted him as saying,
“I’m really interested in doing Le Mans one day. Le Mans is definitely one of those races that I would like to compete in one day. So, yeah. I don’t know when, but hopefully soon.”
to @F1ingenerale_: “as of now, i just follow it (24H of le mans) from home, but if one day i were to be there, i would probably like to do it next to my younger brother arthur and with antonio.”
“i was moved by antonio’s race, i never get moved by other people’s races. but… pic.twitter.com/Bo0blM0SS1
— leclerc data (@leclercdata) June 20, 2024
The demanding nature of the current F1 calendar leaves virtually no time for the drivers to even think about participating in other racing series. The #16 driver’s relationship with his bosses might earn him a weekend off.
Still, it won’t be easy for Leclerc to do Le Mans, as it requires a lot of preparation beforehand and that may not be possible to juggle with his F1 duties. If Leclerc truly wants to race in Le Mans, he may have to either take several F1 races off or enter the endurance race after his F1 retirement.
With Ferrari returning to the Hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship in 2023, Leclerc can choose to do some races with them. Although if he does win the acclaimed Le Mans race, then he might also want to try and complete the Triple Crown of motorsport.
Leclerc discusses the possibility of pursuing the triple crown
Leclerc was asked about his desire to compete for the Triple Crown after winning in Monaco. Originally, a driver earned this unofficial achievement by winning the F1 world championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500. Under the modern iteration, the drivers can also win the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, if not the F1 championship to complete the crown.
Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown. Apart from him, Juan Pablo Montoya, Fernando Alonso, and Jacques Villeneuve are the closest to achieving the feat. Alonso, particularly, is yet to win the Indy500, having won the Monaco GP and the F1 championship along with winning Le Mans twice.
Addressing his chances for the title himself, Leclerc claimed he hasn’t paid attention to the Indy500. He said, “Indianapolis is not something that I’ve been particularly looking at. However, maybe one day.”
The 26-year-old is more inclined toward Le Mans than the 500-mile race. For now, it’s full focus on F1 and especially the current championship season.
