After an difficult era in F1, Ferrari fans have a glimmer of hope in their eyes when they look at Charles Leclerc donning the team’s colors. The Monegasque driver has become Ferrari’s modern-day hero and the fans’ primary hope for bringing glory back to the Maranello-based outfit. While many may look at Leclerc’s dream of a Ferrari glory as a newfound goal, the 26-year-old set off on a path of ‘red victory’ while he was still a young kid.
2008… Karting star @Charles_Leclerc appears in one of his earliest interviews
A decade later, he’s announced as a @ScuderiaFerrari driver #F1
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— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2018
Speaking to L’Officiel Italia in an interview, the 5-time Grand Prix winner recalled an incident from his childhood when he first visited a Go-Kart track alongside his father after pretending to be sick to skip school. A 4-year-old Leclerc instantly chose a red-colored car as his first choice, not knowing it would lead to Ferrari becoming his dream team one day. Leclerc further revealed how he fell in love with racing the same day.
“For my first car, I chose the color red. And I think I fell in love with the sport after just three laps.”
The fact that Leclerc chose a red car is synonymous with Enzo Ferrari’s famous statement. “Ask a child to draw a car, and certainly he will draw it red.”
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The 26-year-old also revealed he first visited a Grand Prix in 2015 when he went to see the 2015 Macau Grand Prix for the Formula Three cars. However, it wasn’t his first-ever live race as the Monegasque admitted to watching the Monaco Grand Prix from his friend’s balcony, which had an overview of the circuit. Leclerc would always root for the “red cars,” not knowing they were Ferrari cars and unfamiliar with the fact that he would one day become the hero of the fans supporting the same red color.
The invitation to Maranello was a rollercoaster ride for Charles Leclerc
Back in 2018, the then-Ferrari team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, called Leclerc while he was still a driver with Sauber. Enjoying a boat ride with his friend, Leclerc asked him to shut off the engine so he could hear better. While on the call, Arrivabene told Leclerc that he would not be able to bring the Monegasque on board the Maranello ship. A disappointed Leclerc started wondering why Arrivabene would call him up in person to deliver the news.
Ferrari had to “look to the future” and bring in Charles Leclerc, says Maurizio Arrivabene
And Leclerc is eager to learn from Sebastian Vettel
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— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 19, 2018
A few seconds after the call ended, Arrivabene called Leclerc again to tell him he was joking and that he was going to be a Ferrari driver, replacing Kimi Raikkonen. An elated Leclerc dived into the sea upon realizing his ultimate dream was coming true. While the thought of donning the Ferrari colors was certainly a new one, the feeling of visiting the Ferrari factory was one Leclerc was familiar with.
Back when he was 11, Leclerc went to visit the Ferrari factory alongside Jules Bianchi, but he did not gain entry. Sitting in the parking lot, Leclerc would imagine the inside of the factory to resemble the factory he saw in ‘The Chocolate Factory.’ Little did he know he would one day gain an all-access pass to the same.
