“I wish you were here” : Charles Leclerc Pins an Emotional Tribute to His Father

Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc posted a touching tribute to his late father on his social media account. The Monegasque penned down a few emotional words remembering his father.

Charles Leclerc pays tribute to his late father

Charles Leclerc’s journey to F1 hasn’t been short of heartbreaks. Even before competing in the sport’s feeder series, Leclerc lost one of his dearest friends in a tragic F1 accident.

At the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Marussia driver Jules Bianchi lost control his car and suffered a horrific crash in tricky conditions. The Frenchman went into a coma before passing away in July 2015. Bianchi was Leclerc’s godfather and one of his closest allies in the world of motorsport.

Sadly, there was more heartbreak to come for the Monegasque. Leclerc’s father Herve, passed away days before his son would compete in the F2 feature race at Azerbaijan. Despite all odds, Charles Leclerc took pole and the win in a phenomenal display of courage and mental toughness.

Leclerc has often cited his father’s influence on his life and has overcome obstacles along the way.

“When I came second, my father wasn’t the happiest so I focused on winning.”

“Only winning, to make sure he was smiling still” said Leclerc, as quoted by F1.

Despite all the emotional setbacks, Leclerc ultimately made it to F1. Furthermore, The Monegasque signed with Ferrari in only his second year in the sport. The 22-year-old even picked his first victory in the sport but it didn’t come without pain.

At the 2019 F2 Belgian Grand Prix, young Frenchman Anthoine Hubert suffered a horrendous accident that claimed his life. The incident shook the motorsports community but had a profound impact on Leclerc. Against all odds, Charles picked up his maiden win in F1 and rightfully dedicated the victory to his friend, Hubert.

Leclerc went on to have his best season in F1 last year.

Ever since bursting on the F1 scene, Charles Leclerc has gone from strength to strength. The Monegasque will continue to drive for arguably the greatest team in F1 history. Somewhere in heaven, Herve Leclerc will be looking on, proud of his son.