It goes without saying that but there were a lot of emotional connections about Charles Leclerc’s Monaco GP win. It was the first time a Monegasque won the race in the Principality in almost a century. However, that is not the only reason the 26-year-old was teary-eyed in the last few laps of the race. He was thinking about his late father and godfather in the closing stages of the Grand Prix. In fact, a gesture after the race proves how close Leclerc really was with Jules Bianchi and how he’ll never forget him.
Leclerc’s relationship with the Frenchman is no secret. The Monegasque considered him his godfather and even credited him for his career. So, after achieving one of the biggest goals of his F1 career, the Ferrari man made a heartfelt gesture toward his old ally.
He sent Jules Bianchi’s father Philippe his helmet from the race. The gesture showcases his late friend is always in his thoughts and it got great appreciation as well.
Philippe Bianchi posted a photo with the helmet and poured his heart in the caption. He wrote, “Thanks Charles for this present and your tribute forever for Jules and your support from Bianchi family congratulations for your fantastic victory on Monaco I am thinking about Hervé and Jules you are so proud about you and to the fantastic man and driver that you are …… #forever hervé and jules#ForzaCL16 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️”
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Jules’ father also remembered Herve, Leclerc’s father, who passed away in 2017 before seeing his son make it to F1 and sport the prestigious red suit. However, as Bianchi’s father pointed out the Ferrari man’s achievements would make them proud. In fact, even today the 26-year-old is reminded of his godfather’s accident.
Charles Leclerc reveals how he is haunted by the thoughts of his friend’s passing in Japan
For Charles Leclerc, the current F1 circuit in Japan has plenty of negative memories attached to it. It was Suzuka where Jules Bianchi sustained his fatal injuries which he later succumbed to.
So, whenever Leclerc races on the circuit he gets a recall of the incident. Speaking on the Jay Shetty podcast, he talked about the negative emotions and how he keeps them at bay to extract his potential.
He revealed, “These are very, very difficult moments because then you are racing on this exact same track, you are going through the exact same corner where a person that you were close with lost his life.”
The #16 driver then mentioned how he countered those emotions. “A part of me was like, ‘I cannot get on with it like nothing happened’. You need to focus fully on driving; otherwise, you are never able to extract the maximum out of the car.”
So, despite losing two friends Jules Bianchi and Antoine Hubert, Leclerc revealed how he continues to do what he does best at the highest level. With this candid admission, he gave a slight insight into the strong mentality of an F1 driver.
