#(and he's not wrong... although calling the strategists oompa loompas would be an insult to oompa loompas)

[il-predestinato]

Excerpts from the Charles Leclerc biography "le prodige" by Rémi Boudoul:

Charles never cried during a movie.

He prefers a bigger seat because he likes to move a bit while racing because that's how he "feels" the track.

Charles is scared of spiders and snakes. 🕷🐍

Charles said he would love to try MotoGP but he doesn't know if Ferrari would allow him. But if he had to choose, he would like to try a Rallye car one day.

Joris (Charles's best friend):

"Money, glory, love, nothing has changed Charles. He is still the same as before. I met Charles in 6th grade, we were almost enemies, because we both fell in love with same girl until we figured out that neither of us will end up with her."

"On Sundays we usually receive a text shortly after the race. Charles talks with us about the strategy, what happened and so on. As soon as he is in Monaco he calls us and we have a dinner. Quite often pasta or pizza. Charles is always available for his true friends."

Charles:

"One day when I was karting, Michael Schumacher was doing some F1 test. It was a really special moment. 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."

"He [Schumacher] signed our suits, talked with us before going back to his garage. It was really sweet and I was very impressed. I don’t even remember what we were talking about because all I could focus on was his red suit. I never thought I would one day drive for the red team."

"My first memory of Maranello was with Jules. He had a photoshoot and he tried to make me come inside with him but it didn’t work, so I had to wait outside. But it was then when I realized that the whole town was dedicated to Ferrari."

"I sat outside, in the parking lot for two hours, trying to imagine what the inside of the building looked like. In my head I was picturing something like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the Oompa Loompas running around."

"On my father's funeral day, I had the authorization to drive the hearse… We drove a bit in the town before going to the cemetery. It was tough you know. No matter what you do, nothing prepares you when you lose your father. I’ve become more mature because losing him made me have more responsibilities out of the blue, making me grow as a man. Mentally I’m stronger than ever after losing my father so early in my life. This changes you forever."

Did I need psychological help back then? No, I stayed alone in a corner. I rather wanted to think by myself and prepare the race. I never thought of not driving in Baku. My dad was my number one fan. He wanted me to be good at each race, so no there was never a doubt because I was sure he would have wanted me to be there and to win for him.

"Do I love winning or do I hate losing? Well both but I guess I hate losing more because when something goes wrong, I’m really upset."

Pascale (Charles's mother):

"Charles on track and at home are two different people. With his father, he was always talking about cars. Racing was Herve’s life. He has that in his blood. Charles was lucky, he received a lot from his father."

Translation by Vetteleclerc.