Charles Leclerc gave an interview to Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport and the conversation turned to various topics – not just motorsport, but also music, fashion and creativity in general.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a hero in the eyes of so many young people?
Charles Leclerc: Every time I come to Maranello, there are always kids waiting for me at the Ferrari base. Formula 1 has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years, partly thanks to the documentary series on Netflix. It is nice to see how the children’s eyes light up when we take a picture together. Even this small gesture is enough for the boys, but for me it costs nothing to bring joy to someone.
Q: Even now you are karting like you did when you were a kid. Are you interested in discovering young talents, what if there is a new Charles Leclerc among them?
Charles Leclerc: I want to help talented young people who have no financial support to break through and realize their dream. But such a project takes time, so I believe it can only be realized in the future.
Q: Why do you like racing?
Charles Leclerc: For the adrenaline and for the fact that I feel freedom on the track.
Q: Try to somehow describe the feeling of driving a Formula 1 car to explain it to someone who doesn’t know what racing is at all. For example, Valentino Rossi said after testing a Ferrari car: “It’s faster than I could have imagined.”
Charles Leclerc: Good definition, because it’s really hard for the average person to imagine how fast a Formula 1 car is. I always compare it to a roller coaster: the sensations are similar, but the difference is that you’re in control.
Question: Do you have talismans that you never part with?
Charles Leclerc: I had them at a young age. Grandma had always embroidered a cross on my overalls, it was somewhere under the logos of sponsors, but when my grandmother passed away, this tradition was also broken.
Q: What were you thinking about when you first tried on the Ferrari uniform?
Charles Leclerc: I had not yet become a Ferrari driver, but was only a student of the team’s Racing Academy. But it was a very emotional moment, because since I was a child I dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 driver and playing for the Scuderia. But it was a very important step in my career. And then I thought about my father, because we had a common dream.
Question: The color of the Scuderia is red, but in everyday life you drive a black Ferrari 488…
Charles Leclerc: At the time I had a matte black helmet with the flag of Monaco: it had a red and white stripe that started at the front and ran to the back. That’s why I decided to order the car in these colors, and I still like it very much.
Q: You care a lot about the design of your helmets, but what is your favorite design option?
Charles Leclerc: Probably the helmet I used at the 2022 French Grand Prix: it had a composition made up of portraits of my father and Jules Bianchi. These two people meant a lot to me, and they are both gone. I work on the design of the helmets with Adrien Pavio, he is a great designer.
Q: Do you like motorcycles?
Charles Leclerc: I have a custom bike that I bought in Bali when I was on vacation there with my friends. We rented him, but I wanted to take him to Monte Carlo, although it proved extremely difficult to register him officially.
Q: Is this a special motorcycle?
Charles Leclerc: There are just certain memories associated with it. I had only just made my debut in Formula 1 then and decided to invite all my best friends for a holiday with me. For the first time we went anywhere outside Europe and had a great time.
Question: Are you going to get another pilot’s license?
Charles Leclerc: I’ve already taken a few lessons and flown 11 or 13 hours – let’s just say I’ve already learned some basics. After that I had to take a break, but I hope to be able to resume classes in 2023. It is necessary to work on the theory as follows, and of course it would be necessary to practice more.
It’s impossible to count how many times I’ve flown on airplanes, but I was always anxious in some way. But now that I’ve got an idea about the work of pilots and know how to act in an emergency, I’m calmer about everything.
Question: Would you like to be invited to fly by the Italian aerobatics squadron Frecce Tricolori?
Charles Leclerc: I already had a similar experience, but flying in such planes would be incredibly cool.
Q: How do you feel when you walk the catwalk during fashion shows?
Charles Leclerc: When so many people look at me, I don’t feel very comfortable. Although I like to watch such shows myself, especially when some special clothing models are shown. Last year I was at the Ferrari Style show in Milan, and before that I was at the Armani fashion show.
Q: What colors would you never wear?
Charles Leclerc: Now I prefer grey, beige and white. At the same time, I am not a fan of fuchsia and cannot imagine myself in an outfit of this color. Even though I used to wear it.
Q: Have you ever talked about fashion with Lewis Hamilton?
Charles Leclerc: We sometimes discuss with him some brands that we like. He has very good taste, and he bravely wears the strangest outfits and is not afraid to appear in the paddock.
Q: Do you want to create your own fashion brand, as Lewis has already done?
Charles Leclerc: Once I even picked this up, but I gave up. Maybe I’ll come back to this in the future.
Q: How do you choose clothes for every day?
Charles Leclerc: On the one hand, I prefer the classic style, which implies simplicity and comfort, but on the other hand, I tend to be creative, which makes me experiment a little, even when it comes to urban style casual clothes. I am a person with a good mood and I dress the way I want because clothes are one of the ways to emphasize my image.
Q: What does fashion mean to you in general?
Charles Leclerc: One of the ways of self-expression that does not require explanation in words. I realized this when, thanks to Formula 1, I started traveling around the world, visiting different countries and cities I had not been to before.
I realized that the concept of “dressing well” means completely different things in different cultures, and it all depends on traditions. It was then that I started to get interested in the world of fashion – maybe it was in 2017.
Question: And what was your next step?
Charles Leclerc: I began to attend fashion shows, then I began to work with the Giorgio Armani brand, and then my contacts with this area became more active.
Question: How do you realize your own craving for creativity?
Charles Leclerc: Usually through music. I play piano and compose some of my own stuff. But I will never be able to learn to draw either.
Question: How do you feel about visual art?
Charles Leclerc: I don’t have much free time, but when I do, I visit different exhibitions. One of my favorite artists is Jean-Michel Basquiat. And of the more modern ones, I like Jason Boyd Kinsella – he has a very distinctive style.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
