ZMax Verstappen is the favorite in the Formula 1 race in Baku and his Red Bull is considered superior, but Charles Leclerc starts from pole position (1 p.m., in the sports ticker at WELT). And the Monegasse has a lot to make up for, because after the first three races of the season things don’t look too rosy. But still: In the first sprint race of the season this Saturday, he finished second behind Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez. World Champion Verstappen was third. “We’re still lacking some pace in the race and that’s been the case for a while,” said the Ferrari star.
Ask: Mr Leclerc, how would you describe your feelings in one word?
Charles Leclerc: Frustrated is a good thing.
Ask: Last season you led the championship after three races with 71 points. You are currently only in tenth place with six points.
Leclerc: Of course the situation was better last year, but looking at the World Cup doesn’t reflect the season so far. I deserve more than what it says there. Don’t forget: I only finished one out of three races. In Bahrain I had to park the car because of a defect, in Australia I had the crash with Lance (Aston Martin driver Stroll, the editors). I need a few clean weekends now and hopefully the World Cup will look better in a few weeks.
Ask: How do you deal with all the setbacks?
Leclerc: I try to spend as much time as possible with family and friends. And since the Corona lockdown I’ve been making music, I’ve taught myself the piano.
Ask: With your piano piece “AUS23 (1:1)” you are currently in the top ten of the charts.
Leclerc: (laughs) This is madness. I’m totally surprised that so many people are listening to my song. Of course I knew that it wouldn’t go completely unnoticed when a Formula 1 driver suddenly puts music on Spotify, but I didn’t expect it to be such a success. But I’m still a full-time racer and just a hobby musician.
Ask: Her motorsport role model is Ayrton Senna. who is it in music
Leclerc: I think everything by Hans Zimmer is good. Otherwise, I like Coldplay.
Ask: Back to Formula 1: You actually wanted to fight for the world championship again after the botched last season, in which your chances for the title were destroyed, among other things, by the team’s strategic mistakes.
Leclerc: Is correct. The expectation was definitely different. But we’re not on Red Bull’s level at the moment. They have a big lead and we have a lot of work to do to close the gap. I can’t say how long that will take. But we’ve learned a lot about our car over the past few weeks and we’ve gotten a better understanding of it. We can now build on this basis bit by bit so that at some point we will be fighting for victories again. I am confident.
Ask: Why?
Leclerc: Fred (Team boss Vasseur, the editors) has a good medium and long term vision for the team. I have no doubt that he is the one who can bring Ferrari back to the top. In his previous assignments, Fred has proven that he knows which screws to turn in order to be successful.
Ask: For example?
Leclerc: It’s difficult to describe without giving away too many secrets. Of course, some things can also be seen from the outside, for example if the car isn’t fast enough. But he has a good eye for what could work even better in the individual departments. He constantly analyzes things and puts them to the test.
Ask: Can you become world champion with Ferrari?
Leclerc: Yes. When I dream of one day being world champion, I imagine myself wearing a red racing suit and getting out of a red car. Not every driver can say it openly, but I think every Formula 1 driver would love to drive for Ferrari. So I can consider myself lucky to be part of Ferrari.
Ask: Nevertheless, some experts claim that you have to switch to Red Bull to be able to become world champion. What do you think?
Leclerc: I do not believe that.
Ask: Recently, you have also been associated with Mercedes. Her contract expires at the end of 2024. Do you have conditions for an extension?
Leclerc: No, because I believe in the team 100 percent and trust everyone from the mechanic to the team boss. But it’s not a one-way street anyway: the team has to believe in me too. But it’s still too early to talk about a new contract.
Ask: How important is it for Ferrari to bring consistency to the car’s performance and reliability ahead of contract talks?
Leclerc: Of course I want to win. But the ups and downs don’t tire me. In 2020 and 2021 we found ourselves in a process where we had to fight our way back to Mercedes and Red Bull. There are setbacks. In 2022 and this year we didn’t take the step that we wanted. We have to do that now.
Ask: How much pressure do you feel?
Leclerc: There is always pressure in Formula 1 – especially at Ferrari. It’s just a special team with very special fans. They have this endless passion for the team. The feeling of victory, that love you get from the supporters, is indescribable. But in the difficult moments it is of course also more difficult to deal with. But that shouldn’t be an excuse. We have to be able to deal with it. Michael (Schumacher, the editors) and Jean (Todt, the editors) also had immense pressure and still won several world championships in a row. So we can’t complain.
Ask: Do you like pressure?
Leclerc: Yes – but I don’t really feel it that much. I’m used to almost constant pressure to perform due to motorsport. I need some tension before I get in the car. But when I put the helmet on, it goes away. Then I just drive the car. But please don’t get me wrong: I’m not deeply relaxed, when it comes to something, I always want to be the fastest. That’s why I’m sometimes not so good at the pre-season tests, because I need the competition, the pressure, to tease out the last percentage.
The text was developed for the sports competence center (WELT, SPORT IMAGE, BILD) written and first published in BILD AM SONNTAG.