“My mother was scared” - Charles Leclerc reveals his parent’s fears during his childhood

Like most Formula 1 drivers, Charles Leclerc also started his racing career very young. He began his karting career in 2005 and won several championships as he progressed.

However, Leclerc's parents were always careful about his education and ensured that he attended school every day. They even worried about his career choices as racing is extremely dangerous.

Speaking on the French TV show En Aparte, Leclerc opened up about how his parents, especially his mother, were not okay with him skipping school to go racing. Whenever he raced internationally, his grandmother always made sure that he caught up to everything he missed.

The Ferrari driver said:

"Well, at first I wasn’t skipping school because my mother was absolutely not ok with it! My dad neither. But then we didn’t have much of a choice. I skipped some school days because I was racing internationally but my grandma was always there, helping me to catch up."

Charles Leclerc later explained how his parents frequently discussed his passions and career lines. Since racing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, his mother was quite scared about whether it was the right path for him. However, she also understood that racing was something that Leclerc cherished the most.

Explaining all this, the 25-year-old said:

"We were talking a lot about my passion [for motorsport] at home. I think my parents were happy because I was doing what I love but also a bit stressed because not going to school a few days per week is a lot. They were scared wondering if they made the right decision or not. And also my mother was scared when I was leaving for a race because it’s a dangerous sport. But my mom saw that this is what makes me happy."

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Charles Leclerc shared his thoughts on Ferrari SF-23 during 2023 F1 pre-season testing

Charles Leclerc was quite happy with the new Ferrari SF-23 F1 car during the 2023 F1 pre-season testing.

Speaking to motorsport.com, he explained how the car had less drag and more straight-line speed, though it was struggling a bit in the slow corners. He said:

“It did. I won’t go into too much details, but I think that was done in the right way. And I think we have a less draggy car, so that should be better this year. But it changed other characteristics. All in line with what we expected, but we still need to find the right set-up for these new characteristics. I expect us to be a little bit quicker in the straights, maybe struggling a little bit more in the corners.”

Though Ferrari were the second fastest car during pre-season testing, Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari's change in philosophy will help them fight Red Bull and other top teams in 2023.