Charles Leclerc used to idolize Jules Bianchi while growing up and dedicated his Ferrari seat to him; he is still in awe of his late godfather.
In 2014, the F1 world was shocked to see Jules Bianchi’s fatal accident in Suzuka. After a long battle for months, Bianchi succumbed to his injuries on this day in 2015. At that time, Charles Leclerc was hardly an adult. It is no secret that Ferrari superstar used to adore him.
Bianchi was a godfather to the Monegasque and played a key role in his early days in motorsport. His death surely affected Leclerc, but it also made him committed to getting that Ferrari seat.
.@Charles_Leclerc : “When my father didnt have the money to keep me goin in karting & it was going to be my last year, @Jules_Bianchi was kind enough to speak of me to @NicolasTodt who then paid for everything for me until I reached F1. So without Jules, I would be nowhere”
🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/bbvLOtvoMJ
— giulyleclerc | 🆑️ fanpage (@lovingleclerc2) July 17, 2022
In 2018, Leclerc was finally announced as the new Ferrari driver for 2019, replacing Kimi Raikkonen. After the announcement, one of the first words by him was that Bianchi deserved the seat more.
“Jules Bianchi deserved this place more than I do,” said Leclerc to the media. “I am extremely happy to be the one. I will try to honour him the way he deserves and bring him the success he deserved.”
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Journalist reveals that mistaking Charles Leclerc for Jules Bianchi was a compliment to him
It’s apparent how much Leclerc was fond of Bianchi. On the seventh death anniversary of Bianchi, F1 journalist Natalie Pinkham reveals how once she accidentally called the Monegasque ‘Jules’ and immediately apologized.
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But Leclerc was in no way offended by that error. On the contrary, he took it as a compliment. “Once, in an interview, I called Charles, ‘Jules’ by mistake. I went bright red and apologised profusely. He said ‘why say sorry? It’s the best compliment I could get’,” wrote Pinkham on Twitter.
In his third year at Ferrari, Leclerc is making strides towards his first championship fight. If he manages to win, the whole F1 community knows to whom he would dedicate that title.
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