Charles Leclerc was recently a guest of the French Air Force. While at it, they treated him to a two-day ride in their state-of-the-art 4.5 generation fighter jet Rafale. While the Monegasque was better prepared for the second day, the first-day ride left him sick and starving.
Leclerc went through a medical checkup and some basic training before flying. He also took lessons in a flight simulator and parachute training before going out on a 3-hour flight. The extreme G-forces left him sick and at the end of the day, the Ferrari ace headed to a McDonald’s drive-thru.
Shortly after placing his order of fries and Coke Zero, Leclerc encountered a fan who couldn’t believe that he found him at a McDonald’s. “This is Charles Leclerc?” he asked while sitting in his van. “It’s incredible,” the fan exclaimed when Leclerc confirmed it was him.
“I can’t believe it, that’s incredible. It’s a lie,” he continued while still sitting in his van and clicking pictures.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re doing in Orange (a commune in Southeastern France). But go to Monaco, it’s better,” he joked after stepping out and getting some pictures with Leclerc.
La Fuerza Aérea Francesa compartió una misión de ejercicio en un caza Dassault Rafale, de los mejores de estos tiempos, al piloto de F1 Charles Leclerc. Será televisado por Canal+ y el documental se llama “Supersonique”. Atento Charles, no son las mismas G’s que en tu Ferrari! pic.twitter.com/IGocPyiJeK
— PegasusA4 (@A4KikeLippi) October 23, 2024
The second day turned out to be a lot better as the 27-year-old seemed more familiar with the jet’s quick maneuverability. Once he reached a high altitude, the pilot gave the F1 driver the controls briefly. Later, the pilot put Leclerc through a tough physical test by going for a quick altitude climb, pulling in high vertical G-forces.
After stepping out of the jet, Leclerc recalled how incredible the experience was. Despite admitting to finding it tough to be in supersonic mode, Leclerc thanked the two pilots who flew him around for hours and gave him the freedom to take control of their machines in the sky.
