Charles Leclerc has hilariously opened up on a Ferrari secret recently that he cannot disclose. The 25-year-old issued such a response when he was asked if the team had a nickname for him.
In reply, Leclerc hilariously said, “Not any that I can say in front of the TV“. The Monegasque has multiple nicknames such as “Lord Perceval” and “il Predestinato” that are known to the public.
Q: does the team have a nickname for you?
🆑: “not any that i can say in front of the tv.”
— leclerc data (@leclercdata) June 21, 2023
However, since Leclerc was hesitant to reveal what nickname the team has given him, it only raises speculations about how embarrassing or inappropriate it must be.
As for his earlier nicknames, the nickname of “il Predestinato” was given by Sky Sports Italia’s commentator Carlo Vanzini during the 25-year-old’s karting days. This nickname in English means “The Predestined“. On the other hand, the nickname of “Lord Perceval” was given by none other than Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz.
Why did Carlos Sainz nickname Charles Leclerc as “Lord Perceval“?
Carlos Sainz made the hilarious revelation about Charles Leclerc’s nickname during Ferrari’s pre-season testing earlier this year. Since both drivers were keen to test the SF-23, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur carried out a coin toss to determine which of the two would get the opportunity to first take the car out on track.
Since Leclerc won the toss, Sainz was curious about receiving updates about the car from his teammate. And instead of calling the Monegasque by his name, the Spaniard called him “Lord Perceval“.
“Perceval, how is that car? Do you like it,” Sainz asked Leclerc. Sainz gave the 25-year-old this nickname as this happens to be one of Leclerc’s middle names. Leclerc’s full name is “Charles Marc Herve Perceval Leclerc“.
While it was all fun for Ferrari during pre-testing, the same cannot be said for their situation at the moment.
Ferrari have fallen behind their rivals significantly
After the first eight races of the 2023 season, Ferrari are currently fourth in the championship. They have scored just 122 points and are already a whopping 199 points behind leaders Red Bull.
What is more concerning for Ferrari is that they have also fallen behind third-placed Aston Martin. The British outfit have had a flying start to the new campaign as Fernando Alonso has already helped them clinch six podiums.
And when it comes to Ferrari, they have just clinched one podium so far. This came courtesy of Charles Leclerc at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix earlier this year. Since the start to the new campaign has been so disappointing for the Prancing Horse, they will now hope that they can improve in the races to come.
