“He Believed It, Fortunately”: One Little White Lie Ultimately Kick-Started Ferrari Phenom Charles Leclerc’s F1 Career

Charles Leclerc is among the most prominent of the new generation of drivers who have taken the world of F1 by storm. He started racing in F1 for Sauber in 2018 after winning back-to-back GP3 and F2 titles. The following year he earned a promotion to Ferrari and has been racing for them ever since. But how did he realize his love for motorsport? The answer lies hidden in an innocent lie.

Motorsport racing, including Formula 1, is a big part of Monaco’s culture. The whole city comes to a halt to celebrate the perennial race weekend. As the race takes place on the street circuit of Monte Carlo, people inadvertently tend to get involved, even without wanting to. One would think that would have been the reason for Charles’s introduction to racing. But he denies it.

Speaking on F1: Beyond the Grid Podcast in 2018, Leclerc said, “Strangely, not really. I tried karting extremely young when I was just three-and-a-half. I was very very young, it’s good memories. But it was quite random, to be honest. I didn’t want to go to school that day. I didn’t want to go there, so I told my father I was ill, which was absolutely not the case.

“But, he believed it, fortunately for me. And he was going to see his best friend, Philip Bianchi, the father of Jules, on the race track and I tried karting there for the first time and fell in love straightaway with the sport. And that’s how I got involved in racing. But before that, actually, I was not really interested in it.”

Read More: $23 Million Ferrari Man Charles Leclerc Once Disregarded His Riches & Fame Having an Effect on Him

Jules Bianchi was also Charles’ godfather. Bianchi lost his life in 2015 after he crashed into a recovery vehicle while racing in the 2014 Japanese GP.

Charles Leclerc attended the annual Jules Bianchi charity gala

Jules Bianchi’s family holds an annual charity gala in his name. The event was kept on a 2-year hiatus owing to the pandemic but made a return this month. The charity auction collected a whopping sum of $97,921. Among the people who attended the event was Jules’s godchild Charles Leclerc. Charles even gave away his crash helmet, a signed cap, and a racing suit for the auction.

Posting pictures from the event on Instagram, Association Jules Bianchi wrote, “Thank you to all the people who attended the live auction, Charles Leclerc and the Scuderia Ferrari for their lots, the chef Alain Llorca and all the artists for making the event even more special.”

What did you think of the Monegasque’s love for racing? Do let us know in the comments below.