Charles Leclerc: “It’s probably the first time in my career that I’ve thought about memories with my father” on the track
The Monegasque driver was very emotional before crossing the finish line in Monaco. He mentioned his father and the memories associated with him several times in the press conference.
One would need to have a heart of stone not to feel even a pinch of emotion upon hearing Charles Leclerc’s audio message to his team at the finish line in Monaco. The driver explained in a press conference that he was a bit overwhelmed by emotions during the last ten laps on the track, far more than on the podium.
« In fact, I realized two laps before the end that I was struggling to see when coming out of the tunnel simply because I had tears in my eyes. And I was telling myself, “Damn, Charles, you can’t do this now. You still have two laps to finish.” And especially on a circuit like Monaco, you have to give it your all until the end. It was very difficult to contain these emotions, these thoughts again, of people who helped me get to where I am today, he explained. And among these people, there is of course his father at the top of the list, Herve Leclerc, who passed away in 2017.
« I remember being so young and watching the race with my friends, of course with my father, who absolutely did everything for me to get where I am today, and I feel like I am not only fulfilling one of my dreams today, but also one of his,” he said. His father was omnipresent in his mind, even though he generally doesn’t think about him when he’s driving in F1. « Maybe in Baku in 2017. Obviously, everything was still very fresh for me, so it was difficult to manage mentally. It’s probably the first time in my career that it happened to me again while driving, where I had these flashbacks of all those moments spent together, all the sacrifices he made for me to get where I am. »
He emphasized the importance of achieving this shared dream with his father and family. “It’s not just my dream, it was our dream, both of us, to make it happen. And obviously, my whole family was supporting me and dreaming of this moment, which makes it even more special.” Leclerc concluded by saying, “It was probably the most difficult moment to deal with today.”
He repeated that it was a very special weekend for him overall. And to finally succeed in doing it in front of all my family, my friends who were watching everywhere on the track is a very, very, very special feeling, emphasized the Monegasque.
Charles Leclerc cautious for the rest of the championship
To come back to the sporting aspect and the rest of the championship, the Ferrari driver does not get carried away and stays grounded, race after race. “I hope this will lead us to many more victories. We shouldn’t get carried away, of course Monaco is such a specific track, and I think we had a very good car this weekend. This doesn’t mean it will be like this until the end of the year, but looking at the first races of the season, I think we did an excellent job maximizing every race we’ve done, and yes, we will continue,” explained the Monegasque.
Charles Leclerc once again explained that he is not thinking about the championship because he believes it is still too early in the season. He adds that the improvements made in Imola still need to prove their effectiveness and determine their impact on future performances.
« It’s just a victory. The season is still very, very long. These are 25 points like any other victory. However, emotionally, this one means so much,” he reiterated. « And I think the fact that we started twice in pole position in the past and we couldn’t get the win for one reason or another, which we couldn’t really control, makes this one even more special.
Total confidence in Fred Vasseur
When asked what difference Fred Vasseur had made to the Ferrari team, Charles Leclerc responded with conviction that he had no doubts. Since the first day of his arrival, he showed that he had everything to bring the team back to its level, that is, to the world championship. Leclerc highlighted the clarity of Vasseur’s vision and his determination not to waste time. He has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve and how he wants to do it. He doesn’t waste time, and that is certainly his strength.
The Monegasque also mentioned that he often shared his vision with Vasseur and that they were aligned on how to achieve their goals. “I have always been completely aligned with the way he wants to change things to get to where we want to go,” he said. “I have no doubt that he is the right person and that he is helping the team to achieve it,” he concluded.
