Fear is not a word you would find in an F1 driver’s dictionary. This high-speed, high-risk world has no place for it. But Charles Leclerc admits that there is a fear that resides in him when it comes to racing.
Leclerc has lost two important people in his life due to tragic incidents that took place on the race track. Jules Bianchi and Anthoine Hubert were very close to Leclerc; Bianchi was like family to the current Ferrari driver. However, it didn’t deter Leclerc from becoming a top-tier driver and his focus remained the same.
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However, when his brother Arthur takes to the track, Charles Leclerc reveals he can’t help but turn away. Navigating his life story with all its ebbs and flows, Charles was in conversation with Jay Shetty when asked about this fear factor.
When he’s in control of a car, there is nothing to worry about. However, safety measures and technological advancements do nothing to console his anxieties as an elder brother. “When I see someone I love a lot doing exactly the same thing, then you see things very differently”, explained the 26-year-old.
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Charles revealed that in such a situation, he is not worried about Arthur’s performances but just his younger brother’s safety. “Whatever else comes is secondary,” added Charles.
And so, Charles doesn’t enjoy watching Arthur on the track. “It’s not as enjoyable to watch racing when my brother is racing because it’s just super scary and I get super super stressed”, he added.
Charles Leclerc reflects on the dangers of F1
The history of the sport carries a bit of darkness in it as well. Numerous lives have been lost due to the love of racing, but it has never stopped drivers from pushing to the absolute limit. It is easier now, as safety standards have improved considerably. But the mental battle continues.
“We all know it’s a dangerous sport,” explained Charles Leclerc before continuing, “You are racing on the exact same track, and on the exact same corner a person you were close with lost his life.”
The six-time Grand Prix winner confesses that these incidents triggered negative thoughts in his mind. When he approaches the corners at which his friends lost their lives, Leclerc explains having to fight the thoughts that come up.
“It is difficult because a part of me was like I cannot get on with it like nothing happened but at the same time you’ve got to do that as soon as you get inside the car until you get out of the car”, he concluded. Despite getting several such negative thoughts, Leclerc has done phenomenally well in carrying on with his professional job.
