Charles Leclerc expands on the perils of being an F1 driver and a celebrity

Star F1 driver Charles Leclerc has opened up about the positive and negative aspects of the glitz and glamour that are tied to his job.

Leclerc, famously known as 'il Predistinato', was thrust into global stardom when he was promoted to the Ferrari team in 2019. His rise in F1 coincided with the sports boom in America and the rest of the world due to the Netflix docu-series 'Drive To Survive'.

The show turned the F1 drivers into global superstars, with the young heartthrob Charles Leclerc becoming a favorite of many. The affable Ferrari driver initially enjoyed being in the limelight, but the attention has worn him down over the years.

"I'm not going to lie, I think the first year or two is a pleasant feeling. As a child, I dreamed of being an F1 driver behind the wheel of a Ferrari, and I believe that being recognized for what you have done is also part of the dream. And when it happens in the beginning you're like [Okay, that's great!] because you finally get recognition for the hard work you've put into your career," he said to Motorsport.it.

Charles Leclerc weighed the positive and negative aspects of the increased popularity of F1 drivers, concluding that the positive aspects outweighed the negatives.

"Then you get to a point where you like it a little less, and maybe you start wishing you had some privacy, to have moments where no one knows who you are and what you're doing, like when, for example, there are people who buzz you from the front door. But in the end it's also part of our job. If I put everything on the balance there are so many positive sides linked to what I do that it always leads to a positive balance," he concluded.

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Charles Leclerc outlines his "realistic goals" for Ferrari this season

Having failed to build upon their previous season's success, Ferrari has been outclassed by its rivals, Red Bull, this year.

With the reigning champions in their own league, the Italian team has dropped the ball as it finds itself fourth in the constructor's standings.

Charles Leclerc in the SF-23 at Spa-Francorchamps

Charles Leclerc admitted that the team had to reset its targets after the season opener. Midway through the season, he insists that the current goal is to be the second-fastest team.

"I think the realistic goal we want to try to achieve is to be the strongest team after Red Bull, and at the same time try to close the gap," he said to Motorsport.it

He further went on to add about the team's goals for the following season, as he hopes to fight Red Bull for the title.

"Then, if we talk about 2024, there is no doubt that in the mind of the whole team the goal is to return to the top and fight against Red Bull, a target that realistically, and I say this as a personal opinion, before the end of the year we will not be able to achieve. The more realistic target will be to finish the season ahead of McLaren, Aston Martin, and Mercedes," he added.

Leclerc currently occupies fifth place in the drivers' standings with three podiums.