There are few greater tests of precision than threading a Ferrari SF-26 along an F1 track in all weathers.
But it’s a challenge Charles Leclerc knows well — the Monaco native climbed into a kart almost as soon as he could walk, and in 2024 became only the second driver from the principality to win his home Grand Prix. But that childhood dream, however poetic, was the result of many different experiences.
At the age of 12, he attended a mental performance center in Italy which became the trigger for a life-long quest for optimum recovery, and he has spent years sharpening his strategic thinking over games of chess with his grandfather. In June 2026, aged 28, Leclerc signed for another two years with Scuderia Ferrari.
What’s it like racing through the streets where you grew up?
I started racing when I was three and a half years old, so I could barely walk. All my childhood memories are wrapped up here. I remember sitting in lessons and barely being able to hear the teacher above the noise of the F1 engines. It feels strange to now be the one making all the noise, but wherever I am, once I put on the helmet, I get into a zone and I don’t really think about those things.
How does it feel to win?
The emotions are very similar to those I had when I was a kid, when I used to win a race with my father. But what it takes to win is obviously very different. One race changed my path. In 2010, it was going to be my last year because financially… it’s just a very expensive sport. And my family couldn’t handle that anymore. There was a race in Monaco, and luckily for me, I won that race. And Nicolas [Todt, Leclerc’s manager and former team owner] basically paid for everything from that moment, all the way up to F1. That’s the race that helped me get to where I am.
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How do you manage the intensity of the sport?
I enjoy what I do, and that makes everything easier. Being a Ferrari driver comes with responsibility because we are followed all over the world; it is the most iconic team in the paddock. With that comes a lot of passion, emotion, and expectations. But I love what I do and I feel so grateful to be in that position — just enjoying the process. I’ve always been quite relaxed about racing, and that’s probably a good thing when you become a Ferrari driver because I don’t think pressure adds anything. It’s not like I’m going to perform any better by thinking about outside expectations or noise that can be around the team. The best thing I can do is focus on my job. But it’s easier saying it than doing it.
You’ve commented on having to amend your driving style over time. Has this season required an even greater compromise?
There’s a much bigger proportion of the power we get in the car from the electrical engine. Obviously, it has an implication on driving, and I had to change my style because of that. But it also changes the workload for us inside the car. We don’t just have to think about driving anymore; we’ve got to think about how to drive as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible. That’s another level of complexity. In the past, you would do that in the race, but not really in qualifying. Now it’s in our brains all the time.
How has your understanding of success changed over the course of your career?
It takes teamwork. It takes trying to put every single person in the best possible position to perform at their best. There’s a huge step from F2 to F1. You go from a team of 20 people to more than 1,000. There’s a snowball effect: whenever you’re in a good moment and the whole team is feeling very positive, everybody does just a little bit more. That little bit more, multiplied across 1,000 people, makes a huge difference. So it’s all about making sure every single person has the right tools and the right environment to perform at their best in order to achieve success.
What’s life like off the track? How do you recover?
I love music. I started learning to play music to try and disconnect from racing. I love piano, and I play a little bit of guitar. I’ve also started composing. Music is an important tool for me to just stay in my bubble.
What about travel? Does Leo [Leclerc’s dachshund] come along?
I love traveling, but I do so much already with racing. I love Mexico; it’s such a unique place with a very strong identity. My wife and I love to bring Leo everywhere with us, but we do that only when it’s responsible and where he feels completely fine with it. I fly with VistaJet and that helps, because he can run and do whatever he needs to do. He’s happy and we’re happy. He’s at ease on the plane.
