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chibrary · 6 days

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Some at the team knew he was the man for the job, but Charles Leclerc's procurement of a seat relied on a neat bit of manoeuvring in order for their boss to agree to a deal.

We're not talking here about the delay that followed Sergio Marchionne's death before Leclerc gained a 2019 Ferrari Formula 1 drive, rather his maiden season of car racing in the '14 Formula Renault ALPS series.

Fortec Motorsport engineer Martin Young knew all about the talents of the 16-year-old Monegasque driver.

"My background is in karting," he explains. "I used to work for the factory teams in Italy. I knew the drivers to watch from karting would be Max Verstappen, Ben Barnicoat and Charles Leclerc, and Fortec wanted to run teams in Eurocup, NEC and ALPS."

It's worth explaining here that in those days Formula Renault 2.0 operated as a pyramid structure, with the Eurocup at the top, and the Dutch-promoted Northern European Cup and Italian-run ALPS series as the base. Fortec was already established in Eurocup and NEC, but was venturing into ALPS for the first time.

"At the time it looked like Verstappen would be doing Eurocup, and we had Ben signed for NEC," continues Young. "I spoke to Jamie Dye [Fortec managing director] and said that if we wanted to move forward in ALPS we needed to get Leclerc.

"We did a test day at Motorland [Aragon] and we sort of lied about his times - we'd put Charles up against a lot of experienced drivers, so he was 1.2-1.3 seconds off - so that Richard [Dutton, team principal] would stay interested in giving him a bit of a deal. Richard was asking, 'Is he really good?', and we said, 'Yeah, we know he's really good.'"

Barnicoat, now a factory McLaren GT racer, was already familiar with Leclerc - as a Racing Steps Foundation protege, he was part of the ART Grand Prix line-up in international karting in 2012 and '13, while Leclerc belonged (and still does) to the All Road Management stable of ART shareholder Nicolas Todt.

"I had two years as team-mate to him in karting," says Barnicoat. "The first year I was directly racing with him, and in the second he went into gearbox [KZ] karts. He was one of the best team-mates I ever had, if not the best. A great guy.

"That first year, Charles won the WSK series and I won the European championship - that was up against the likes of Verstappen, so the competition was extremely high. I feel sort of left out!

"He had a bit more track knowledge so in the first half of the year he was beating me, but then we pushed each other really hard and that worked for the team - we got a lot from that.

"Looking at how good he is, it's nice to know I beat him on occasions, to know that I had the talent and ability to do that."

Fortec was one of the teams that tested Verstappen, and was also eyeing a deal with another talented karter: George Russell, whose plan was to combine Renault ALPS with what was then BRDC Formula 4.

Russell, who now is on course to succeed Leclerc as Formula 2 champion, eventually joined Prema Powerteam for ALPS, but that deal fell over on the eve of the season and he secured a last-minute berth at Koiranen GP.

"We wanted George; we tried to sign him," says Dutton of what could have been a mighty line-up had Russell joined Leclerc. "But he signed for Prema and then [Lawrence] Stroll [who had taken a majority shareholding in Prema] stopped him from going there."

"Me and Charles were testing for Fortec," says Russell, "and at the same time Verstappen was there with Josef Kaufmann Racing, I think. We were in talks with Fortec, but we decided to sign with Prema."

When it's pointed out what a mega line-up that would have been alongside Leclerc, Russell laughs: "In hindsight that could have worked out better for me than Koiranen. That [the late Prema split] put us in the shit a little bit, and three weeks before the first race I didn't have a deal. We took the gamble on Koiranen."

Autosport reminds Dutton of an awards evening over the 2013-14 winter when, asked about Russell, he said: "We've got someone even better - a lad from Monaco..."

"It was really quite a late deal," recalls Dutton. "He missed most of the winter-test programme. But you just knew he was the real deal. In and out of the car he knew what he wanted. In lots of ways he reminded us of Verstappen when we tested him."

Young confirms that the sum total of Leclerc's pre-season mileage was four days at Aragon, and two at Barcelona, before going straight into the pre-weekend test for the Imola opener.

"The first three race weekends his experience was a bit low," says Young, "but as soon as he got on the podium he was there every weekend.

Leclerc went on to finish runner-up to the flying - and experienced - Nyck de Vries in the ALPS points, with two race wins at Monza under his belt, but perhaps the more impressive performances came in his three 'wildcard' outings in the Eurocup. The first was at Spa, one week before the Belgian track's ALPS round.

"He was 30th in qualifying at the Eurocup," says Dutton. "We changed everything - we couldn't understand what the hell was going on. One week later he qualified third for ALPS. That was really, really special."

In his next Eurocup outing, Leclerc took a fifth and a second at the Nurburgring, and in his final one he took a brace of seconds at the Hungaroring.

"I was looking after Matt Parry and Jack Aitken in Eurocup," says long-time Fortec driver coach Matt Howson. "I'd heard [Leclerc] was something maybe a bit special, but you hear that all the time, and wait until you see it yourself.

"Usually you understand the driving style straight away - what's good, what's bad - and the thing with Charles is it didn't matter whether there was understeer or oversteer, he seemed to deliver a lap time."

The cerebral approach of Leclerc and engineer Young frustrated Howson at the Nurburgring.

"He'd never seen the place, and there were only two 45-minute [test] sessions, and furthermore Martin was determined to try things on the car," says Howson.

"I said, 'Don't do it, leave him out'. He was last in the second session, and then he was P3 on the grid for the second race - that's unheard of in Eurocup [for a newcomer]. Renault is a very finicky formula, and it all has to come together to deliver results, but Charles seemed impervious to everything.

"Based on that first year, I knew he was a little bit special. Whenever he was tested in Eurocup, he defied his experience. That's a marker - that you can break all the accepted rules."

Talking about that Nurburgring episode, Young says: "That literally sums up Charles Leclerc. That year we were struggling in Eurocup, and I said I'd come in with Charles and we'd do some testing. Going into qualifying he'd never run new tyres, but he went from last to the front. Nothing ever fazed him."

In Young's view, he also compared favourably to Lando Norris, who tested FRenault cars with Fortec in 2014 before his first steps into single-seaters: "I worked with Lando towards the end of the year, and Lando eventually got to the same point [as Leclerc] but needed a lot of testing, but Charles could just get in and drive. It was second nature to him."

Russell took a distant fourth in the ALPS standings, although he did claim the 2014 BRDC F4 title.

"With Nyck winning the championship it didn't make any sense to me, but I think at the time there were a few dodgy chassis around," he says. "When I tested Nyck's car it was extremely different in terms of characteristics. I wasted a season there, but it was character-building."

He also suffered from chicken pox that caused him to miss the Monza round, where Leclerc took his two wins.

"I didn't think it affected me at the time, but I struggled a bit for no reason in the following few F4 races," says Russell. "It was quite severe - I've still got some bad scars. I put my family off their dinner a few times!"

But Russell trumped Leclerc by joining Tech 1 Racing for the final Eurocup round at Jerez as a wildcard - and winning: "I got my self-confidence back a bit, jumped in that car and won."

Both Russell and Leclerc had initially targeted a full season in Eurocup in 2015, but such were their reputations by the end of '14 that each went to the Formula 3 European Championship, Russell with Carlin, and Leclerc with Van Amersfoort Racing.

Fortec tried to hang on to Leclerc for F3. "We tried so hard to get him for F3, but we lost him to VAR," says Dutton. "We did some tests with him in the F3 car and he was straight on the pace. At Silverstone he was quickest of everybody there, and then we went to Valencia with him and we had a nightmare with mechanical issues. I think that didn't do us any good."

All who worked or raced with Leclerc agree about his qualities as a man.

"Of all the drivers in F1 who've come through us, Charles is the one who gets [guest] passes for the British Grand Prix," says Dutton. "He had Martin [Young] and Jamie [Dye] there this year the whole weekend, in Sauber hospitality. He's a proper guy."

"I still speak to Charles every week or so on various topics," adds Young, who attended Leclerc's initial grand prix free practice outings in 2016. "He's still exactly the same person."

Barnicoat, who is one of the drivers for the McLaren hot laps at F1 events, bumps into Leclerc regularly.

"When we raced against each other in Renault there was quite a lot of rivalry from what we'd had in karting," says the Briton, who added three 'wildcard' ALPS outings as direct team-mate to Leclerc to his title-winning NEC campaign.

"But it would have been nice to get more direct comparisons. In 2013, when we were in karting, I went to the grand prix with him in Monaco and stayed on his uncle's boat, and had a really good time. We spent a lot of time together, and although we were rivals we helped each other out. He was a good friend of mine and still is."

Leclerc is also resilient. "Jules Bianchi came to the Hungaroring Eurocup round to mentor him," says Howson, "and I understood then how close they were. After that incident [for Bianchi] and his father [who died in mid-2017], he's probably been tested off track more than anyone else, but it's not bled over into anything on track.

"He's incredibly mature. He's relatively introverted - he doesn't come in and make lots of noise, but he's polite, considerate and always looks you in the eye when he talks to you. It doesn't matter whether he's got loads of cameras on him, he'll always come over for a chat."

Russell, meanwhile, is "100%" sure that Leclerc will flourish at Ferrari.

"Charles is one of a handful of others I put in the best-of-the-best group," he says. "In my opinion he absolutely deserves his chance at Ferrari. He's got the speed and the talent, and I'm excited to see how he fares next year. I've no doubt that he will be competitive."

#series:f1 #year:2018 #driver:george #driver:ben.barnicoat #format:article

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chibrary · 2 months

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source: aarava on youtube series: f1, 2018

Aarava: What's your most embarrassing moment in your career? On-track, off-track, F1 or not.

Charles: Probably when I had to tell my mechanic at the end of my last Formula Renault race that I had peed in the seat. This was quite embarassing.

Aarava: I don't know how that conversation starts. “I've got something to tell you.” Right. So, we're in Italy so I have to ask a very important question. You know, a lot of people take a lot of solace in the answer to this question: pineapple on pizza. Yes or no?

Charles: No.

Aarava: No, okay. Marcus said yes, so I'm with you.

Charles: Oh, no.

Aarava: He was going on about putting kebab stuff on the pizza. It was very weird, very weird.

Charles: Probably some Swedish thing.

Aarava: Yeah, I think it's Swedish tradition. So, social media these days in F1 is getting bigger and bigger and you're a really avid user of social media. How much does it kind of affect you on a week to week basis? Do you read much into what people say about you? Like, fans are saying about you on a race weekend or?

Charles: I'm actually quite a bit on social media, I really like to interact with the people that are following me. Then, obviously, I think I am in quite a lucky position where people generally likes me. Hopefully it will last. Maybe some people will get angry now hearing this and start to hate me but yeah, no. I'm quite liked so I try to be as close as possible to the people that are following me.

Aarava: On that same kind of line: obviously, you're probably tired of hearing it, but on that same line, obviously, everyone keeps talking about what you gonna do in the future, you gonna, you know, have a stepping stone to Haas? When are you gonna go to Ferrari? How much does that wear you down? Like, do you get annoyed by the constant talk of it or do you kind of just blank it out?

Charles: No, I mean, I understand that there are rumors, people want to know what's happening and obviously, when I was watching Formula One, I was also very impatient to know which drivers will move in which team. So I completely understand it. Yeah, I just hope that I will be able to let you know very soon.

Aarava: On another driver talk, you know, Ricciardo is going to Renault now, Alonso is retiring.. As a driver whose not like, I mean, you're a little bit involved, but do you read a lot into that? Like, do you take interest in what other people are doing?

Charles: Yeah, definitely. I mean, it's quite difficult to miss the news about Ricciardo going to Renault and Alonso stopping at the end of the year. But, yeah, of course. Yeah, I'm checking these also.

Aarava: Any funny moment with Marcus or previous teammates in lower categories or anything like that? Like pranks or just really funny moments, stand up moments?

Charles: It's difficult. I'm normally getting on very well with my teammates. So there are a lot of funny moments, to pick one is something difficult.

Aarava: Okay. And obviously last weekend you can't get away from it: you got in a really horrendous crash with Alonso and lucky that he came out of it, really. What was the feeling like right when it happened? Like, was it just a blur really?

Charles: Well, I just remember trying to downshift and, and go again on track hoping that there will be no damages. But unfortunately, obviously, I expected some damages and it was not possible to continue. So, just frustration really to not continue the race.

Aarava: Your birthday is coming up later in the year. So obviously, if it's not on a race weekend, what would you usually do to celebrate your birthday? Like any kind of activities or a favorite meal or a favorite drink even to have on a night out?

Charles: I'm quite boring, to be honest with nights out and parties and things like this. But honestly, I am, yeah, probably a bit of time with the family and friends and that's it basically.

Aarava: Ok. Fair enough. It's a nice quiet night in. Maybe that Netflix question was quite on point.

Charles: Yeah, exactly. That, what I was going to say, probably it's on Netflix also.

Aarava: All you drivers post some really nice holiday photos over summer break. So, is there any place in the world where you haven't been yet where you want to go on holiday?

Charles: I really like traveling. I really like the sun and the sea. So, probably all the parts of the world where I haven't gone where there are nice beaches. I will, I will try to go.

Aarava: So, obviously we talked about your social media interaction, stuff like that and we talk about your fans as well. I think a lot of people wanna wonder, like, do you generally, like, actually look through your phone and like, actually see these tweets all the time and like, are you generally the one that's always kind of, you know, liking or responding like that because I know a lot of drivers might use management?

Charles: Yeah, I mean, I've had some propositions of people wanting to help me out with it, but I've never, and I will never, never want someone else to manage it. I mean, maybe someone could do it better but I prefer it to be a bit worse with myself doing it than somebody else. So it stays true and that it reflects myself more than the person that is writing a tweet for me.

#series:f1 #format:interview #format:video #year:2018 #charles leclerc

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chibrary · 1 year

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source: sportweek format: interview season: 2021, f2

What was your relationship like before you met at Ferrari, and how is it changing?

LECLERC: "I didn't know Carlos very well, because we had little time to hang out. One evening, in Singapore, he was watching the circuit from the swimming pool on top of the Marina Bay Sand skyscraper and I was there too, so we started talking. Now, the relationship is getting stronger and stronger. We share similar ages and interests, we laugh a lot together and we get along really well."

SAINZ: "I had followed Charles in Formula 2, for his talent, but the first real conversation we had was in Singapore in 2018, when he arrived in Formula 1. From there the relationship got closer also because I I started asking him a lot of questions about Ferrari every time I met him".

What did you discover about your teammate that you never expected?

L: "Perhaps the fact that you speak Italian so well".

S: "I was surprised that he has an artist's disposition. He likes painting, music, playing the piano. All uncommon passions for a driver".

What do you usually joke about?

L: "Overall, like two ordinary guys. We don't just talk about the races, but also about our life, about what happens to us every day. We have a lot of fun".

S: "We spend a lot of time together, even when we eat or do interviews, so we have moments for joking. We laugh a lot. Otherwise it would be boring".

Who is better at cooking?

L: "Him. We recently decided to organize a dinner first at his house and then at mine. The menu he proposed seemed interesting, while mine was pasta in white sauce".

S: "I'm not a great chef, but certainly better than Charles…".

[Rough translation of full interview below]

The red house has a new tenant: Carlos Sainz, son of a rally legend. He and Charles Leclerc-- who took the keys to Maranello from former captain Sebastian Vettel-- form the second youngest Ferrari couple in history after Jacky Ickx and Chris Amon (1968). They arrive at the start of the F1 World Championship in Bahrain full of expectations and hopes, with the same book in their suitcase: My terrible joys, the biography of Enzo Ferrari. Because there is no future without the past.

What was your relationship like before you met at Ferrari, and how is it changing?

What did you discover about your teammate that you never expected?

L: "Perhaps the fact that you speak Italian so well".

S: "I was surprised that he has an artist's disposition. He likes painting, music, playing the piano. All uncommon passions for a driver".

Carlos/Charles' best driving skill?

L: "Consistency, it's very continuous."

S: "The speed, he's very strong in qualifying and in the race, managing to take the car to the limit".

Will it be tough to beat him?

L: "Sure. Carlos is a very strong driver and so far he hasn't had the winning car to prove it. I expect him too to fight for victories when we have the right car".

S: "Especially at the beginning, I will face a very difficult challenge. Charles knows the team better than me and is perhaps the most talented rider on the grid. But I will stay calm and give myself some time to reach his level with the Ferrari".

If there was a misunderstanding between you in the races, how would you react?

L: "It can always happen, but I have the ability to distinguish between the race and what happens outside. I am convinced that Carlos is very similar to me in this respect. So, if there is some misunderstanding, we'll talk about it frankly. Considering our relationship, we won't have any problems."

S: "It depends on the situation. Usually there is always one driver who is more to blame than the other. I hope we will be mature enough to admit it, if it happens. But I think we will not get to that point. We are clear that the priority is to report Ferrari up above, not our personal battles".

What can two young people give to Ferrari?

L: "Motivation first of all, we want to do our best and everyone in the factory has seen this. In addition, we work well together by directing our efforts in the same direction, there is a continuous exchange of information and the needs are the same. The team , therefore, knows exactly where to focus".

S: "We are motivated by the desire to bring Ferrari back to winning ways, a drive that few drivers have. I feel that the team is already on the right path. Furthermore, we are not in a hurry, as can happen to more mature drivers".

What do you usually joke about?

L: "Overall, like two ordinary guys. We don't just talk about the races, but also about our life, about what happens to us every day. We have a lot of fun".

S: "We spend a lot of time together, even when we eat or do interviews, so we have moments for joking. We laugh a lot. Otherwise it would be boring".

Who speaks Italian better?

L: "Carlos told me that I have to teach him some vocabulary. But he stands up to me."

S: "Sometimes I understand some words, similar to the Spanish ones, which instead escape him. But Charles has a higher level than mine".

Who is better at cooking?

L: "Him. We recently decided to organize a dinner first at his house and then at mine. The menu he proposed seemed interesting, while mine was pasta in white sauce".

S: "I'm not a great chef, but certainly better than Charles…".

Who is better working with the engineers?

L: "We have different ways of describing the sensations in the car, but we both try hard."

S: "I apply myself a lot, I'm hard to beat in this, all my teammates have always admitted it".

How important is the family?

L: "When you arrive in Formula 1 you become a magnet, a lot of people approach you for reasons of interest and not because they appreciate you as a person. It's essential to have solid foundations. Therefore family is very important, like the friends you've known since childhood".

S: "Most important of all. Knowing that my loved ones are well, healthy, makes me calm".

The love?

L: "Equally important. I have a girlfriend, I'm fine with her. Sometimes you need to disconnect from motorsport and have someone you're happy with next to you".

S: "One can be happy in life even without love. But better with…".

Money?

L: "It's important for everyone, but it doesn't make you happy. I do this sport because I like driving, for the thrill of winning, not for the money".

S: "Having it is better than not having it, but money doesn't bring happiness."

Victory?

L: "That's what made me fall in love with motor racing. I couldn't live without competition, in whatever I do. I grew up like this, with the desire to always compare myself with others. Therefore, winning is the best".

S: "Very important, perhaps even too much."

Biggest person out of racing?

L: "My mom".

S: "My father Carlos, without him it would have been much more difficult to get here."

What do you think of Stefano Domenicali's idea that he would like pilots as role models for young people?

L: "That's right. We have pursued a passion from an early age and worked to achieve goals: our example can serve to show young people that they too can do it. We are normal people who have managed to live their dream".

S: "I completely agree, especially now that ten-year-olds follow you on Instagram and on social media. Everything you say and do can influence them, so it's important to set correct examples".

Is the salary cap for pilots right or wrong?

L: "We'll talk about it between the FIA and the drivers".

S: "Wrong."

What did you know about Ferrari before arriving in Maranello?

L: "I lived Ferrari as a passion, but I didn't know the history of the brand, there was simply something magical around this name. For me, it has always been the Red Machine. In my wildest fantasies, the team for which I wanted to drive one day was always Ferrari".

S: "I knew everything about the last twenty years, a little less about past history. Now I'm reading the biography of Enzo Ferrari: it was given to me by the president John Elkann, who I asked to show me a book about him".

Would you have liked to meet Ferrari?

L: "Very much. I'm reading his biography too, right now, and I consider him a figure to inspire for many reasons".

S: "Who wouldn't like it? I'm struck by the fact that Ferrari represents Italy. When you join this team, you're racing for an entire nation. It's like playing football and wearing the Spanish national team shirt. Responsibilities and l 'pride".

Which part of the Maranello factory fascinates you the most?

L: "Enzo Ferrari's house inside the Fiorano circuit. One day Carlos and I met in his office and we began to imagine the scenes: "Look, this is where he signed some important contracts...". Thinking this fascinates me so much."

S: "I like the gym, it's the place where I can find my moments of peace, to recover mentally after hard days driving the simulator".

Which of the Ferrari drivers of the past excites you the most between Lauda, Villeneuve, Schumacher or others?

L: "Michael, for all the triumphs he has obtained and for his ability to drag the team along. Gilles, for the madness of certain maneuvers he did on the track with which he gave emotions".

S: "I could say Lauda, Schumacher or Alonso. Instead I say Villeneuve, less known by the general public".

What type is Mattia Binotto?

L: "At first he's reserved, but then he opens up more and more and now we have a very good relationship, where we can be honest, an attitude that helps the team".

S: "I got on well with him from the first minute, he's easy to work with. He seems to me a leader with an ambition and a project that will soon bear fruit".

A goal for this year?

L: "Doing the best possible every time I get in the car. After the first race we will know where we are compared to the rivals".

S: "To take a good step forward, it must be a better season than 2020. I would like the fans to regain faith in Ferrari and believe in us".

Can Ferrari win again in 2022 with the new rules?

L: "I think it's an opportunity for us, or rather an opportunity, to win again."

S: "Why not? I think so. We need more years to become a dominant team, but returning to victory can happen even sooner, above all because 2022 will be a strange year for everyone and we will start from scratch. When was the last change of regulation, in 2017, Ferrari started with the fastest car. I believe in this team".

What would you like to achieve with Ferrari?

L: "I would like to win a world championship. It was already a special milestone when I arrived in Maranello, but succeeding after going through these difficult years would be even more valuable and would give us more satisfaction".

S: "I would like to stay in Maranello for many years. Obviously, Ferrari is in a hurry to get back to winning ways, and we want it to happen as soon as possible, but I have the patience to work in perspective to bring the red back to success".

#format:interview #series:f1 #year:2021 #driver:carlos

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chibrary · 6 months

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source: f1tv originals series: 2019, f1 "That was a 24 hour race and I was in the team with Jules, my brother and Norman Nato-- I don't know if, you know, also-- and it was around three in the morning or something like that, and they say 'Charles, take the karts and you do this session of one hour. You know, we, we will go and, and have a party and then we'll come back in one hour.' And I remember I took the, I started driving at three and at eight in the morning, they were still not coming by because they were just passing somewhere here and I didn't want to stop because I didn't want to lose the first position. So I have been driving for five straight hours and I was completely dead, but they eventually came back after five hours to save me from dying inside the car, which was nice."

(And compare with Lorenzo's version:

"There is an anecdote which sums up Charles well and his winning state of mind," smiles Lorenzo. When we were teenagers, we often did 24-hour relay endurance races with Jules Bianchi and Norman Nato (Editor's note: driver in the World Endurance Championship). Sometimes we took Charles, who was 7 or 8 years old, to do hour-long stints with us. One day, we leave him the kart around 1:30 am, and we go have fun in a nightclub. We come back around 4 a.m. We thought he would have left the kart or given someone over when we returned. But he was still on the track, he had been driving non-stop for three and a half hours. He took out the blisters on his hands and his arms in a compote. It shows how far he can go …")

#series:f1 #series:karting #format:video #year:2019 #family:lorenzo

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chibrary · 3 months

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topic: practice notes

source: twitter

What do you write in the notebooks you read during practice?

Everything: my feelings about the car and the things I want to try on the track. I get lots of ideas so I write them down so I don’t forget them.

And I write them down in pen so I’m sure I can find them again because before I used to use an app on my tablet that often erased everything.

source: la repubblica

#series:f1 #format:interview #year:2022 #driver:seb #vgp:topic

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chibrary · 2 months

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INTERVIEW: "My Off Track Life" (Alfa Romeo, 2018)

When and how was your passion born? My passion was born pretty early. It was a day I did not want to go to school. Uh, and, and yeah, my father went to see his best friend which had a track, uh, Jules Bianchi's father. And I've tried karting for the first time and since then I fell in love and on the way back, uh I, I told my father it was the job I, I wanted to do when older.

Do you remember the first time you have been in a car? The first time I drove a racing car was back in 2014. So, yeah, I was, I was 16 years old.

What did you learn from Formula 2 World Championship winning experience? In Formula Two, I've learned massively. Uh, obviously, it has been an amazing year for me professionally, but a very, very difficult year, uh, personally because I've lost my father. So, it has not been an easy year, but all in all, with the results, we have had a great year, a great experience. It was my first year with pit stops. So, this has been a very good experience to prepare me to Formula One. Yeah, to have a first experience with these Pirelli tires.

Who is your favorite driver? Who inspires you? My favorite driver is, uh, was Ayrton Senna He has been a very inspirational person to me. My father was a big fan of it and he kind of gave me his passion, even though I've never had the chance to see him in reality. But obviously I've read a lot of books and seen a lot of movies.

Which is your favorite circuit? My favorite circuit is probably my home track. Uh, obviously, Monaco is a special place for me.

How do you find concentration before a race? Before the race I like to prepare obviously with, uh, some physical training because obviously it's quite, uh, demanding on the, on the physical parts and then obviously to try to imagine the perfect lap. It always helps, uh, to be as quick as possible in the first laps.

What has changed in your life becoming a professional driver? Being a Formula One driver, there are quite a lot of things that changes. The media attention is a lot bigger. There was always quite a shock at the beginning, but you need to get used to it. Many people are looking at you expecting some results. You have a bit more pressure, but you need to, you need to handle it.

What is your road car? My road car is the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, I really, really enjoy this, uh, this car. It has a great handling and, um, yeah, very, very fun to drive.

Thanks to all the Alpha Romeo Sauber F1 team fans and see you soon on track. Ciao.

#series:f1 #format:video #format:interview #year:2018

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chibrary · 3 months

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INTERVIEW: "Ferrari, I won't stop believing in it. I see myself as world champion" (La Repubblica, 2022)

source: alessandra retico, la repubblica published: june 15th, 2022 series: f1, 2022

excerpts:

Do you envy Verstappen at all? No and I don't think he envies anything about me either. We are two different drivers, I focus on myself to be the best version of myself, I will never be someone else. I am happy with my development and will continue to evolve.

You're very tidy on the track, are you also very tidy in your private life? No, I'm messy. I reserve order and discipline for motorsport.

In the film [Lightyear], there is a kiss between two women that has already created controversy: does it surprise you? For me, homosexuality is a completely normal thing, I have gay friends, I don't understand how today there are people who don't understand that love is for everyone. F1 must lend a hand to those who don't have such a powerful voice to express difficulties in everyday life.

They have given you many names: predestined, prince, which one do you recognize yourself in? They are all positive and make me very happy, but what I like most is what my father gave me, pins à roulettes when I started racing, I was 4-5 years old, I was all small and you could only see the big helmet.

Were you never afraid? No, never, even if looking back at the accidents I tell myself I was lucky.

What did you buy with your first paycheck? A 1969 Fiat 500, off-white, convertible. The side-by-side? I didn't have too much trouble driving it. Then I went to Indonesia in Bali with my best friends.

A pinhead with wheels underneath. The yellow helmet was so big and he was so small, that his father called him pins à roulettes: "It's the image that corresponds to me and I like best about myself." Even though Dad Hervé is no longer here, Charles Leclerc still goes fast and stings the heart with the same ardor as when he was a child. He has a Ferrari to do it. "I want to become world champion , I will believe in it until it is no longer mathematically possible." Six poles in 8 grands prix but only 2 successes, now he is 3rd behind the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Perez. Two retirements in the last 3 races (Barcelona and Baku) due to reliability problems, in the middle his very bitter Monte Carlo: from 1st to 4th due to a mix-up of strategies. His engine is in Maranello: in Montreal he will fit a new one, to be determined if he will need a fourth turbo which would cost him a penalty.

Still optimistic? I will never give up, this has always been my mentality. I want to win, the World Cup is long. We have to understand the problems we had, they were three tough blows. Not an easy moment, but this doesn't change my motivation.

Doesn't reliability worry you? No, but a lot of attention is needed, the customer teams also had problems. But I have faith in this team and once the problems have been resolved, the pace and performance are there. I believe in it. I may be crazy, but I also believed in the two previous seasons as soon as I put the visor down, even though I could aim for a 10th place at most. This year we're really there, we just need to focus on ourselves and solve the problems as soon as possible. It's an important championship, we have a great opportunity to do well. There is too much positivity when things go well and too much negativity when they go badly. We need to find a balance.

Did you sleep after Munich? I did it, even if it hurt. But already in Baku I reset and got back in very good shape. It will be the same here in Montreal too.

How do you recover from disappointment after delusion? I know well what it means and what it feels like when you win, it's one of the few things that give me such great happiness. It's this that drives me to train every morning. This year we should have had more successes than we have for the reasons we know, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time to get back to where we want to be.

Do you need more calm or a winning mentality? Everyone has their own way of arriving at things. For me, being calm and concentration are fundamental. And when there is an excess of emotions it is important to return to your own bubble without being disturbed.

Do you have anything special about qualifying? I don't know, you can make a difference on the flying lap, because every mistake you make costs you in the end. For now it's gone well, I understand the car enough. But I'm also happy with the race which was my weak point in 2019, I worked on it and I think I improved a lot.

Compared to your partner, Sainz, you seem to have more confidence with the car. I can't speak for Carlos, this year I prepared better than in the past. Lots of simulator and in the pre-season tests I tried things that perhaps didn't make sense but I didn't want to overlook anything and be as ready as possible for the first race, there I wanted to be where I am and give it my all. It paid off. These new cars are difficult to drive and the details of going fast have changed. All the drivers have made mistakes and it's up to me to make as few as possible. I take risks, like in Imola. Even when you can't see it. I think it's the right approach and for now I'm happy.

Do you envy Verstappen at all? No and I don't think he envies anything about me either. We are two different riders, I focus on myself to be the best version of myself, I will never be someone else. I am happy with my development and will continue to evolve.

How did you miss the plane to Montreal? I went home on Monday. The flight from Nice to Paris was delayed. So I missed the connection but then I arrived safe and on time.

You're very tidy on the track, are you also very tidy in your private life? No, I'm messy. I reserve order and discipline for motorsport.

What do you write in the notebooks you read during free practice?

Everything: my feelings on the car and the things I want to try on the track. I get lots of ideas so I write them down so I don't forget them. And I write them in pen so I'm sure I'll find them again, before I used an app on the tablet which often deleted it all.

You voiced a character in the Disney Pixar film, Lightyear: The True Story of Buzz . Do you feel like a superhero? No. I feel like a normal person, even if I do a sport, I don't call it work, very special which isn't for everyone. I'm just lucky.

In the film there is a kiss between two women that has already created controversy, does it surprise you? For me homosexuality is a completely normal thing, I have gay friends, I don't understand how today there are people who don't understand that love is for everyone. F1 must lend a hand to those who don't have such a powerful voice to express difficulties in everyday life.

What are you like in everyday life? I have a routine: diet, gym, rest. Discipline is the biggest change I've made. In a year like this I want to be at 110% for 22 races. Will we get to 24? I'll be even fitter.

You play the piano. If F1 were a musical genre, what would it be? A very strange mix between classical and rock and roll. I think it's an exercise in adaptation between aggressiveness in qualifying and gentleness in tire management in the race. Playing helps me, I did it as a child, my brother Arthur is very good, I I started again during the pandemic by taking back the piano that was from my mother.

Don't you sing? Sometimes in the shower. Out of tune? I don't know, I just wouldn't have the courage to do it in front of someone. Poor Seagull sung in Bahrain? A joke with some of the team. I prefer to invent on the piano, it's something I share with my girlfriend Charlotte who will become an architect in two months. Like me, she is very creative.

Is creativity also useful for being a pilot? You need speed, precision, concentration. And courage. Let's take Jedda: a very fast track, close walls. There you feel the risk you're taking but you have to go and not think about it, this is what I like about this sport. I know it's dangerous, but I like to play with limits.

Were you never afraid? No, never, even if looking back at the accidents I tell myself I was lucky.

What did you buy with your first paycheck? A 1969 Fiat 500, off-white, convertible. The side-by-side? I didn't have too much trouble driving it. Then I went to Indonesia in Bali with my best friends.

You love fashion, when will your first clothing line be launched? I would like to do it in the future, it is one of my passions, I believe that fashion is a means of expressing oneself without speaking. For now I am content with wearing things that I like. My mind is busy trying to win the Championship.

Have you already booked your summer holidays? In Sardinia with my friends on my Riva boat. Then in Ibiza with the family, but I remain focused: gym and equipment within reach.

Who will you cheer for at the World Cup in Qatar? Since there is no Monaco and Italy, France.

How do you see yourself at the end of the year? World champion and that's it.

#year:2022 #series:f1 #format:interview #charles leclerc

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chibrary · 4 months

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source: alfa romeo on twitter series: f1, 2018

The year of the rookie. The 2018 story of Charles Leclerc.

What were your feelings in Melbourne, your first ever F1 Grand Prix?

The feelings of my first race in Formula One is difficult to put into words. And I've always dreamed since child, uh, to be one day a Formula One driver. In Melbourne on the grid being next to, to this champions was, was an amazing feeling.

The best and worst moment of the 2018 season.

Uh worst moment, probably Shanghai. It was the third race of the season where I was, uh ,struggling a lot. And the best race is the one just after Shanghai, which is the fourth race with the sixth place in Baku was something, yeah, very good for the whole team. And it gave me a lot of motivation.

What were your feelings at your first F1 home race, the Monaco GP?

The Monaco Grand Prix was extremely special to me. I've grown up watching this Grand Prix and to finally be driving in these streets in Formula 1, the streets that I've taken to go to school, was quite a strange feeling. It was a very nice weekend and a very nice way to show my friends and all the people that are in Monaco that don't completely understand my sport that I've made it to the top category of this sport.

Are you ready for the 2019 season?

Well, it's definitely going to be, uh, an amazing opportunity for me. It will be a big jump, so I will have to step up everything. Basically, I don't have any particular worries. Uh, I just think I will have to really focus on myself and try to do the best job possible and try to grow as quickly as possible as a driver.

We will miss you Charles...

It has been an amazing season for me. Um, I have to thank [...] Sauber F1 Team to give me the opportunity to be in Formula One this year and to start- to start my Formula One career. Without them, I would have not get the shot at Ferrari the year after I've learned so much. It has been such an interesting project. Uh, For me, such an amazing persons, a better team. They have a lot of experience with young drivers. It was just a crazy year with a lot of support, a lot more than, than what I expected. And uh yeah, I just wanted to thank you a lot for, for all of this.

#series:f1 #format:socialmedia #format:video #year:2018 #charles leclerc

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