Charles Leclerc fulfilled one of his childhood dreams when he drove Michael Schumacher’s F2003 in February 2023. Several years before, he had another memorable encounter involving the seven-time World Champion as he got to meet him during a karting session. It was a moment he described as very “special” in his biography.
As quoted in his book written by Adam Hay-Nicholls, Leclerc described meeting Schumacher as, “A really special moment“.
The former Sauber driver added,
“I remember entering the paddock and we had the chance to meet him. It was very exciting. Fortunately, there was not a lot of people, so he took some time to talk to us“.
Leclerc then added that he does not remember what he spoke to Schumacher about as all he could think about at the time was the German former driver’s “red suit“. Since Ferrari was always his favorite team, Leclerc said,
“I never thought that one day I would drive for the red team“.
In 2019, Leclerc joined Ferrari and several opportunities and accolades he couldn’t fathom as a child arrived at his doorstep. For instance, Leclerc got to drive the aforementioned F2003- Schumacher’s Title winning car. He drove it at the Ferrari Corse Clienti event in Abu Dhabi in 2023.
With Leclerc having been fortunate enough to achieve so much, fulfilling his most important dream still remains. And that is to win the World Championship with Ferrari.
Will Charles Leclerc’s recent extension change his luck?
Charles Leclerc recently signed a new Ferrari contract that will keep him in Maranello beyond the 2024 season. Soon after extending his deal, the Monegasque reaffirmed his faith in the team.
As quoted by formula1.com, Leclerc said,
“My dream remains that of winning the World Championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy“.
Leclerc then explained how it was his dream to race for Ferrari since he was three years old. He revealed that he would watch his home Grand Prix in Monaco, from the window of one of his friend’s apartments. While watching the races, he would always keep an eye out for the “red cars (Ferrari)“.
Since Leclerc has always been so fond of Ferrari, he knows more than anyone what a privilege it is for any driver to race for the legendary Italian outfit.
The 26-year-old will now use this motivation to win his first Title, and in the process end the Italian outfit’s Championship drought.
Ferrari remains a long way away from being able to challenge for race wins on a consistent basis at the moment. However, with upgrades set to come in and a regulation change (2026) looming, things could change for the better in the near future.
