“It Was a Bit Strange”: Charles Leclerc Reveals How in 15 Seconds Ferrari Both Rejected and Accepted Him

Sabyasachi Biswas | 16/12/2023
"It Was a Bit Strange": Charles Leclerc Reveals How in 15 Seconds Ferrari Both Rejected and Accepted Him

Charles Leclerc has recently opened up on his move from Sauber to Ferrari. The Monegasque revealed why the same was “strange” as he was both rejected and accepted within 15 seconds.

Speaking about this, Leclerc told lofficielitalia.com, “I was on a boat in Monaco. I put my phone in silent mode, I found the call from Maurizio Arrivabene [former boss of Ferrari]. I told my friend to turn off the engines. That Ferrari’s boss called me, and that I didn’t feel good.”

Following this, he added, “I understand that they wouldn’t have taken me in Ferrari. I thought it was a bit strange that he called me to tell me that. I was disappointed. 15 seconds after he called me and told me he was joking.”

Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019 after debuting in F1 in 2018 with Sauber. After joining the Prancing Horse, he teamed up with four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel.

A few years later, many now regard Leclerc as one of the favorites to win a championship. While the Monegasque is determined to win with Ferrari, it is the responsibility of the team now to provide him with a car that is capable of fighting for the championship.

Charles Leclerc has full faith in Ferrari despite the team’s struggles

Charles Leclerc came closest to fighting for the championship last season when Ferrari had a brilliant start to the campaign. While there was immense optimism that the Monegasque could fight Max Verstappen for the title, all the hope soon faded away after the team suffered a slump.

Despite Leclerc’s failure to give a real fight for the title last year followed by a difficult campaign this year, he still has all the faith in his team. He believes that the engineers back at Maranello are capable enough to cut the gap to Red Bull significantly.

However, it will not just be Red Bull that Ferrari will need to worry about. The Italian outfit will also need to be wary about the improvements the likes of McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin make over the winter break.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Charles Leclerc ferrari Maurizio Arrivabene

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Sabyasachi Biswas

Sabyasachi Biswas is an F1 journalist at The SportsRush. With over one and a half decades of love for the sport and five years of experience in the field, he dreams to be a regular at the paddock when the lights go out. A Red Bull fan and F1 fan in general over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen dominate the track. Apart from F1, he's also a big-time Madridista and Federer fanatic. He was a sub-junior level footballer, won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak throughout, he tries different cuisines and learns new cultures whenever he's away from the keyboard.

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