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Charles Leclerc Reveals the Lone Moment He Was Frightened in His Formula 1 Career

Published 01/07/2022, 6:37 PM EST

Charles Leclerc has been an unstoppable force in the sport and one many hope to see clinch the title one day. Cool and passionate at the same time, Leclerc maneuvers the track given to him with absolute integrity and tenacity. Yet, surely there have been moments of misgiving for the driver.

The Ferrari driver sat down for a feature with Italian magazine L’Officiel. While talking about his sport, Leclerc was asked if he’s ever been afraid. “Honestly … I felt scared in 2017 when I thought I could not be able to become a Formula 1 driver.”

The Monegasque made his debut in 2018, with Alfa Romeo Sauber. A year into his time in F1, Leclerc was promoted to his dream team, the historic Scuderia Ferrari. There’s a certain quality required to live up to driving for the Prancing Horses- being fearless.

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“Never afraid of speed, the day I am afraid, I will immediately stop racing because living in fear is half living.”

A strong ethos for Leclerc, who pushes his machine to the absolute limit when on the track. A man deserving of his Ferrari overalls, Charles’ mentality reflects well in his racing style.

Where does Charles Leclerc derive his fearlessness from?

A simple answer- it’s his zeal. Leclerc fell in love with the sport, and therefore, the speed at a very young age. Thus, it comes naturally to him. Leclerc tells the tale of how he bunked his kindergarten class at the age of four. The pair went to a go-kart track instead, where Leclerc saw other kids race and wanted to give it a try.

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“For my first car I chose the color red, and after three laps I fell in love with this sport, I couldn’t understand the concept of braking.”

Thus, began a love story. “On those tracks, I started dreaming of becoming a pilot, then growing up I realized that I could make my dream come true and turn it into a job opportunity.”

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Leclerc’s first car was red, and surely it could remain like that till the end of his career. A champion in the waiting, hopefully, Leclerc’s childhood love story will soon climax to an awaited championship campaign.

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Shreya Sanjeev is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. Having attained a journalism degree from St Xavier's College, she finds comfort in the sound of her keyboard while typing and excitement in the sound of F1 cars speeding on a track. A street circuit and Daniel Ricciardo fan through and through, Shreya claims the 2018 Monaco GP to be one of her favorite races of all time.

Charles Leclerc Reveals the Lone Moment He Was Frightened in His Formula 1 Career

Where does Charles Leclerc derive his fearlessness from?

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