Charles Leclerc Breaks His Silence on Online Judgment

Key Takeaway

Turn difficult moments into a next-step plan rather than a verdict on yourself. After a mistake, identify what happened, choose one adjustment for the next attempt, and deliberately return your attention to the task in front of you. Pair that reset with a small, realistic goal for the next one or two months—not a distant outcome—so progress stays measurable and confidence is rebuilt through action.

Episode Overview

Charles Leclerc discusses the physical demands of Formula 1, the routines that sustain him, and how he learned to respond more constructively to mistakes and public criticism. He also reflects on losing his father and friends, staying humble and grateful under pressure, and pursuing a world championship through small, consistent goals.

Full Transcript

Transcript of Charles Leclerc Breaks His Silence on Online Judgment from On Purpose. Auto-generated from episode audio; may contain minor errors.

What do you remember about the first time you drove a car? And how did you feel about that? Well, that was purely by chance. I was three and a half years old at the time. I did n't want to go to school that day and told my father that I was sick. He believed me. As it happened, he had to visit his best friend , who owned a go-kart truck. So I got into the car with him, drove there, and saw the karts driving on the track.

I asked, "Can I try this out?" But of course, there were no go-karts for three-and-a-half-year-old children . Fortunately, the owner, Jules Bianchi's father, Philippe Bianchi, had a go-kart built for his son when he was three and a half years old. So everything was ready. And I tried it there for the first time, and I remember the first round. They attached a rope to my go-kart, and an adult drove in front of me, just to make sure I could turn, etc. And after the first lap, we removed the rope, and I continued driving until the fuel ran out.

Um, it was an incredible feeling right away . I enjoyed having control of a go-kart at such a young age; it was something really, really great. And I love the adrenaline that it gave me. So it was definitely a very special moment. I can't remember it because I was too young, but at the same time I have pictures that my father took of that day, and they give you back a bit of the feeling of that day. Yes, it's nice to be able to look back .

Yes, I thought to myself, when you think back to the year 3 1/2, it's impressive. I said, " I can't remember anything since I was three and a half years old." But pictures can convey that wonderfully. Tell us how much discipline, strictness, and training you had to acquire. The Formula 1 season is relentless for me. It is long, tiring, and exhausting. When I watch the many races and talk to other drivers, I realize that it consumes everything . It's as if your whole life is encompassed by it .

Naturally. How did you allow yourself to do that – and we're approaching the end of the season as we record it – how did you develop your stamina ? What does it take to persevere to the end when it is so grueling and exhausting? This changes a lot in your career , because you start in karting, where you spend many days on the track , but the track is always very close to your home. So , even though you travel a lot or spend a lot of time in the car to get to the racetrack , you're racing all day and only come home in the evening.

It's still somehow quite simple, because everything is very, very close together. Then you come to the single-seater races, Formula 4, Formula 3, Formula 2, where you have to travel a bit more across Europe, I would say. But you only have about 12 or 13 races to drive a year, so that's still not that much. It takes a lot of time, of course, but it 's still not that much. And then there's Formula 1, which now has 24 races around the world. And between races, you also have to attend many events , sponsor events to prepare for the races.

For example, I drive in the simulator in Maranello. So many things are coming together, making this season extremely strenuous. And especially as we approach the end of the season, as is the case now, it becomes increasingly difficult. But then it's about planning things better. I arrived in my first year in Formula 1 and to be honest, I was a wreck. I arrived and made the flight myself. I arrived at the track the day before training and was extremely tired. Especially towards the end of the season, it's impossible to give 100% all the time .

But you learn with experience . Now I have a whole team of people helping me with all of this, because it's super important to give 100% at the end of the season. And now people plan things better in order to maintain a good quality of life. Training, nutrition and sleep are extremely important . The different time zones around the world are also very difficult to manage, but now I'm familiar with them. Anyone who is not a fan of Formula 1, or has not seen the series "Drive to Survive" that we talked about earlier, or does not understand the series, does not know how physically demanding it is to sit in a car.

Let me give everyone an example: I drove a go-kart two weeks ago and was nowhere near as fast as with an electric go-kart. And when I came back, I had bruised my ribs. Yes, with lots of bruises, and all because I drove go-karts as a little boy . It is very tiring in many ways. Please tell us about your diet and sleep habits. What does this routine look like for you personally? What do you eat ? What do you need to build up in terms of training, etc.?

And then tell me what happens to you during a race . What is happening in your body and mind? Sleep is my top priority. He is also incredibly important. Of course, you rest and regenerate the energy your body needs, and that's extremely important. I'm extremely strict about that. I sleep well. I probably sleep about 10 to 11 hours per night. So, really, really, really long. Do you have any tricks for that, or do you just sleep well? No, I sleep well. The only big problem I have is that for some reason I don't sleep on airplanes.

I have trouble sleeping on airplanes where I spend a lot of time. That's why I have to fly during the day so I can stay awake and all that, but that's part of the planning. Nutrition: I have a nutritionist in Milan who looks after me and sends me all the dietary guidelines. I used to always have the same routine, which eventually got boring. It's much more diverse now, so it's very difficult to go into detail about what I consume. There are more carbohydrates, especially shortly before the day of the competition.

Our weight fluctuates greatly during a race week, because on Friday before training and before driving practice you are quite heavy, as you eat a lot of carbohydrates which dehydrate you. You drink a lot of water and need to be well hydrated. Then it is exposed to extreme heat in the cockpit , causing it to lose a lot of water. In some races, you can lose up to 3.5 to 4 kilos of water , which is difficult to recover from in the one or two days afterwards .

Yes, the fluid and nutrition plan is super important so that you stick to it throughout the whole weekend . And physically, it is in some ways a very unusual sport, as there are muscles that are not really used in this sport , especially the neck. The neck, for example, is probably the most difficult to train, as it is full of small muscles that are not used, and this is difficult to replicate in the gym. Driving is basically the only training you can get for it, no matter how much you try to imitate it with rubber bands , but it is very difficult .

Whenever we come for the first day of training in February after the winter break , talk to all the drivers, and at the end of the first day they are all so tired, simply because the neck is a very difficult muscle to use, but it can be trained. But then lots of cardio training is extremely important. And another thing that is also difficult to train is breathing techniques, as it is sometimes very difficult to breathe normally due to the G-forces . That's why we do a lot of apnea exercises in the curves , but you get used to that over years of driving a Formula 1 car.

You have already spoken about how your mental health, resilience, and mindset were much weaker during your time as a kart driver . How did you experience that? What did it look like back then ? What do you mean by saying that your thinking was weaker back then? I was extremely strict with myself, which I now consider a strength, because I am very honest with myself and don't like to be nice to myself when I make a mistake. I am very strict and very honest with myself.

But at the same time, I think that the reaction to it is extremely important . The way you react to mistakes you've made in the car is the point where you manage to turn a mistake into something positive by learning from it. When I was younger, I didn't have the right reaction. I made myself look so bad . That also damaged my self-confidence. Now it's completely different. I know that I have reached a certain level because I have worked hard, because it also takes a certain amount of talent that you have when you are young.

It is extremely important to maintain a high level of self-confidence during these difficult moments. Otherwise, you lose track of things , the direction you need to work in, and that can make things a bit more complicated. That's what I struggled with when I was younger. Have you ever criticized yourself during a race, or did you not have time to do so? No, not really. I believe adrenaline helps us in our sport not to overthink, because you don't have time to think. You race from one curve to the next.

If you're already thinking about the last corner, you'll make a mistake in the next one . So you have to mentally regroup before every turn . And if you've made a mistake, you have to prepare for the next turn, which is coming in 1 second. It happens super fast, but I think adrenaline helps. I think what I struggle with most is when I've finished a race. Mhm. Over several rounds, you look back and think to yourself: "Okay , I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have made that mistake .

I should have known that. I should have prepared for it ." And then I made myself look bad . And that had repercussions for much longer, because then you have to wait for the next race to continue. And that will be in one or two weeks. And for a week or two you think to yourself: “Okay, I can’t wait to get back in the kart and show what I can do.” But in these last two weeks, you obviously have to accept the point of view of others, which has also hurt me in the past , and it's simply not good for learning from your mistakes.

Are you looking forward to the next race to prove yourself? That sounds exactly like it is. It's like having that feeling of adrenaline, like, "Okay, I ca n't wait to be back on the track." "Was there ever a moment when you thought, 'I don't want to go back on the track because I'm scared or afraid of losing or failing?' Never. Never, because I love what I do ." And in difficult times, I always like to remember the time when it all began. I was three and a half years old, but I don't remember that time.

I was about seven or eight years old . Back then I looked up to Formula 1 and dreamed of being where I am today: a Ferrari Formula 1 driver. That was everything I had dreamed of. I still want to win the World Cup, that's another dream of mine, and that's what I'm working towards. But in all the difficult moments, I always remind myself how lucky I am to be in this position and to make a living doing what I love most: driving. This reminds me how much I love this sport I play, and how much I love what I do.

No matter what situation I'm in . How did you manage to maintain this freshness? What is it that makes you fall in love with this sport again and again? Because you're so young, but at the same time you've been doing it for so long. Yes . I've been doing this sport for 23 years now. So, a very, very long time. But I don't know. It's simply the adrenaline that gives me that feeling . I am fortunate to be able to work with so many incredibly talented people.

All the engineers, mechanics, and everyone on the team are people who have dedicated their lives to getting to where they are now. And being able to work with so many incredible people is a great opportunity. Whenever I work with them, it's always super interesting. You learn something new every day in this sport because it is very complex. Of course there's the driving, but then there's the whole technical side of cars. Yes, just being with these people , talking to these super interesting people and then driving myself, that's what I love most.

Yes, every time I put on my helmet I have a smile on my face because the adrenaline I get when I step on the gas and drive out of the pit lane is something very special. Yes, I love what I do. Yes, it sounds like you are very fearless on the track and that you have acquired this attitude over time. What does it look like off the track? Is there anything you're afraid of? Any fears? Does this fearlessness on the track also help you off the track, or are they simply two different worlds and two different things?

No, no, no, believe me. I'm afraid of various things. I hate snakes. I tried bungee jumping and couldn't jump. You didn't do it? No. But it's strange, because at the same time I was skydiving. Skydiving, yes. And I loved it. But you know , I couldn't do bungee jumping. So I was extremely scared. At the same time, it's like you said, when I'm sitting in a race car, there isn't 1% of me that's afraid, simply because it helps a lot to be in control, I think.

And um, yes, no, I'm never afraid. Of course, there are also these external things that frighten you. And I wonder, do you know what you've been through? As I looked back on your journey and listened, I realized you suffered so many losses along the way . And I think it takes even more courage for you to continue showing yourself as you are now, with love, gratitude and joy, than to get into a car and drive at that speed. Because sometimes it's almost as if an emotional transformation is more difficult than a physical and mental transformation.

Please guide us through the losses you have suffered and how you managed to transform that grief into growth. I think that's why I've grown faster. I lost my father in 2017 , so I was obviously very young, and at that point in your career or life you need someone to help you grow as a man and also as a driver , because he was basically my best mentor. He was a driver himself at the time, so of course he helped me with all the experience he had gained in racing over the years .

And losing him at that age made me grow up much, much faster, because you learn to manage your own affairs much earlier . Before that, I was still a child. He simply took me along to the races . I did what I love most: driving, flying, organizing, planning—my father did all of that , and he did it perfectly , and he sacrificed a lot so that I could come here. But then, from one day to the next, he is no longer your father and you have to take all these things into your own hands.

I have my younger brother, and my older brother was also 10 years older than me, so in a way he was already grown up, but my younger brother was 3 years younger than me. I also had to take care of my mother , so all these things are not something that comes easily to you when you're 17 or 18 . It took a while to get used to it , but I think we all grew much closer as a family afterwards . It was also a difficult moment to lose my father, because I think I was between 14 and 19 years old, and at that age you always clash a bit with your parents.

After that, I think we all grew much, much closer than before. So, what was it like racing this year ? Do you know, what was it like when you had to reappear now, without your mentor and the person who believed in you, loved you, and killed you? I think that's so brave and requires inner strength. How was that for you? What was that like? I don't know it. It was on Tuesday in Baku. I had a Formula 2 race. I was in Formula 2, not yet in Formula 1.

And he died, I think, on Tuesday, and I had a flight on Wednesday to get to the race. When he died, I wondered what he would expect from me. Mhm. And I had no doubts. There was only one answer. Um, he lived for racing. He loved racing so much and he loved watching me race . And especially when I won. So I knew I had to go there and do absolutely everything I could to try and win the race . And that gave me extra motivation to make him proud from up there.

So, uh, it was super important for me to do that. How did he react when you won, and how did he react when you didn't win ? I think my honesty towards myself always came from my father. He was always super honest with himself. Um, with me. He was, um, strict, of course, if things didn't go the way he wanted, or if he thought that a mistake should be made at that point in my career . But at the same time, he was incredibly happy every time I won.

You could really see how much it meant to him. Um, so he came to every race . For every race, really. But I must say that he was a slightly different kind of father at the races, because fathers are usually always with their children at the races, always there to encourage them. He, on the other hand, always took a step back and tried to lead me. He let me grow in my own environment with my engineers and mechanics, and at the end of the weekend we came together and then had the discussions.

Okay, I saw that. You should have done better, but it was great and he always gave you great support. And even in difficult times, I think that's exactly what you sometimes need. This good person, someone who is close to you, who only wants the best for you and who says encouraging words to you. And I knew he was a great help. Then I lost my father . Of course, my mother was there too, but she didn't have the technical knowledge about racing that my father had.

But it is extremely important to have close people who can tell you the right things at the right moment throughout your career, no matter what level you are at . And yes, that was extremely important to me. Yes, he sounds like a great guy. He sounds like such a wonderful mentor for life. Is there any advice from him or anything he shared with you that you always carry with you, whether on race day or in life? Is there something he left you that you want to keep coming back to?

Always remain humble and grateful . I believe those are the two words he always said, because even when I was six or seven years old , there were years that were extremely good for me at that age. I've maybe driven in 24 races and won 18 of them. And at that age, you get swept away . You think to yourself: "I am the best, and this is exactly right for me. I will get into Formula 1." And he was always there, Charles. You are only six years old.

Formula 1 still has a long way to go . So you must keep working and remain humble. I've always done it in a fun way . I was never arrogant because I think that's a character trait in our family. We're all like that. But yes, I think those are the two words I always keep in mind. And especially the part about gratitude. How did you manage to stay the way you are? And how do you train yourself to stay that way? That's obviously quite natural in your family, which is nice.

But do you have a method for controlling your ego that has helped you? Not really. Not really. No, no, the...I mean, to be humble, I think. Yes, I never really worked on that. These are just words my father said to me, and I keep reminding myself of them because, as I said, sometimes you can have four really, really good races and you think to yourself, " Okay, I've found the rhythm. " And in those really, really good moments, it's quite easy to perhaps work a little less than in the really difficult moments.

And that's perhaps the point where I sometimes remind myself: "Charles, yes, you're at a really good moment in your career, but you still have to work just as hard as in the really difficult moments." Because everyone who is struggling now will catch up eventually. So you have to keep working as hard as possible. Where I still have a little work to do. No, not to work a little more, but what I need to think about more is being grateful in difficult moments to be in this position.

Because when you come out of a difficult moment and have to struggle with one, two, or three races in a row, then you will face a lot of criticism . Of course, it's a sport that's constantly growing, especially in the USA. It keeps getting bigger. In Europe, it has always been enormous. But being a Ferrari driver also puts you under a lot of pressure, especially because it means so much to people all over the world. And you have to be able to handle this pressure in difficult moments .

And it can also be difficult to deal with the opinions of others in these difficult moments , and that can hurt you personally. That's why I always try to remind myself how grateful I am and how lucky I am to be in this position. Yes, definitely. Was there any criticism or similar kind of feedback that hurt you the most, where you thought, "Oh, that was hard to take. That was difficult." What if there were one? The criticism that hurts me the most is the criticism that doesn't define me as a person.

I think that in today's world with social media, everyone can easily express their opinion , even people who don't know them personally. Yes, I remember someone saying two or three years ago, "Look how arrogant he is." And such critics really hurt me because I know that I'm not like that. And it's hard to accept them if you're not really like that. And I remember that this hurt me personally. You always get criticized for your driving style, or if you make a mistake in a race, or whatever.

But that's part of the sport. That hurt me particularly in my first year in Formula 1, because you come from a Formula 2 driver who no media talks about. You make a mistake and only my mother or father would say: “Okay, Charles, you made a mistake , but that wasn’t good.” When you get into Formula 1, you're in the spotlight. You make a mistake and hundreds or thousands of people talk about it on social media. It takes some getting used to . I remember my first year in Formula 1.

I really looked at everything people said about me because it was all new to me. Then you learn to appreciate only what the people you love most think about you. And that's the only thing that matters to me. I also always try to use social media to reflect my true self . Mhm. And if someone doesn't like me, then that's just how it is : not everyone in the world likes me. That's normal. I just need to be myself. But as you said, it's simply difficult when someone misunderstands a character trait of your personality and then criticizes it, and you think: "That 's not me, and I wish I could prove it to you, but that's life." Yes, definitely.

You said earlier that you know you're scared and what you're scared of. And I've read before that you said you get scared when your brother drives a car. Yes . That's something you're afraid of. So you're not afraid when you're driving and in control. But if you do n't have them, please explain to me what's going through your mind. What are you afraid of? How do you experience that? Because as much as I'm not afraid for myself, I'm still fully aware that it's an incredibly dangerous sport.

Despite the many improvements in safety over the years , it is and remains a dangerous sport because we drive at insane speeds and anything can happen. Whenever I'm in control and racing, I don't think about the potential risk I'm taking. However, when I see someone I really like doing exactly the same thing, I see things very differently. Of course, I always pay attention to performance, but for me the most important thing is his safety, that he reaches the finish line safely, and then everything else comes second.

It's not so nice to watch races when my brother is driving, because it's just super scary and I get super , super stressed. What was the fastest race you've ever driven? And if you watched your brother, what was the fastest race he ever drove that worried you ? Or was there a race where you felt that was the one? Every one . Any race, no matter which one. Yes. So you still watch races at all? No, yes. You're still watching it because you want to see the performance and you want to help him.

But it's difficult because we also race on the same race weekends. I usually have meetings to prepare for my race while his race is taking place at the same time. Correct. So I need to keep an eye on the race , but at the same time concentrate on my meeting. And that is the hardest task of all. But the top speed is probably around 370 km/h, which is about 230 miles per hour, I think, or something like that. I don't think that's the impressive part of Formula 1.

The speed on the straightaways is fast, but you don't really feel that in a car like a Formula 1 car. It's mainly the braking; the speed in the curves is insane and very difficult to put into words and make understandable. No, I only know how difficult it is because I've played video games. Yes. That's... If you're trying to play Formula 1 video games, it's one of the hardest things you can do. Accidents are bound to happen when you're training . I'm sure you see things that are painful to look at, either in yourself or in others you love.

What's it like when you're training? In Formula 1 they've obviously made it safer and all that, but practice is practice, right? The same standards do not apply. Well, firstly, it's a completely different sport than others. In football or other sports around the world, you can train as much as you want. That's not possible in Formula 1. I only spend three days a year in a Formula 1 car. And then the first race begins. That's the only training I have. It's been three days in the new car.

You have to understand how the car behaves. That's nothing at all. And then everything else is done virtually. So you race , you train on simulators with other controllers, this time with the steering wheel. But they train on simulators to prepare for the real race. And then you have three days to get up to speed and understand all the information the car has to offer . That is primarily the task of the engineers. And then you have to be ready a week later for the first qualifying session.

That is very, very, very difficult. As you said, we all know it's a dangerous sport. Unfortunately, I lost my sports mentor Jules Bianchi in 2014; he was an incredible driver. He had a fatal accident in Japan and died there . And another friend, Antoine, also died in Belgium in 2019 . These are very, very difficult moments, because then you're driving on exactly the same route. You are driving through the exact same curve where someone close to you lost their life. These are the two moments in my entire career where you go into that curve with negative thoughts and have to fight your way through it a bit to think about something else and move on.

As difficult as it is, part of me thought I couldn't just carry on as if nothing had happened . But at the same time, you have to do that. At least from the moment you get into the car until the moment you get out, you have to do that. You have to concentrate fully on driving . Otherwise, you can never get the maximum performance out of the car. And I remember, I mean, I remember one of my favorite movies, Rush with Niki Lauda and James Hunt.

This is probably one of my favorite movies, and you see so much of the world of ego, fame, success, concentration, effort, competition, but you also see the dangerous side of it. The film is so well made. I've always been a fan. I wonder if you're a fan of this film, or if you think, "Oh, it's not like that at all." No, I love him. I mean, I think he really portrays well what the sport was like back then. Yes Yes Yes. Not anymore, yes. And it was amazing to see what it was like back then and what it's like today, and how much everything has changed.

And I also think that today, when I get into the car and not a single part of me thinks about the danger, it's really true that things were very different for drivers 30 or 40 years ago. I believe that the driver who was willing to come closest to death was the fastest because he was so brave. The cars I've driven so far, all the cars that had no safety features, like the legroom areas, were simply made of metal. If you drive into a wall , that's it.

I'm sure they had that in mind somewhere. Everything is much safer today, so you don't even think about it anymore. I think the sport has evolved like crazy since then. But it's a great film. Yes, yes, yes, no, and I like hearing that. It's so interesting. Of course we know that things have changed, but when you hear how much cars have changed, how much safer they are, and how much risk a driver used to take, it's crazy. It's unimaginable to even recognize that, as you say.

For someone from the outside, it's interesting to see this at all. What was your favorite car that you have ever driven? Do you have a favorite historical period or year that you have seen or experienced, and why? Why is it special? I actually drove Niki Lauda's car. Wow. That was something very special. Unfortunately, I had a problem with the brakes while driving, which was quite frightening . But I really enjoyed driving this car, although it was completely different. I think he was completely different in terms of driving, too .

They had the gearbox, they had the gearshift lever, so you had to press the clutch every time you wanted to shift gears, just like in a normal car today. But nowadays, everything in a Formula 1 car is electronic. So you shift gears, you just press a button, you don't have to use the clutch, you don't have to press anything, and your brain can concentrate on many, many other things . We have hundreds of thousands of things that happen at the steering wheel and that we have to touch while driving.

But you no longer had to think about the corridors . Back then, in my opinion, the gearshift was a very important part of driving. But I really enjoyed driving those loud old cars. That was something very special. Yes, it's amazing. I can imagine how much attention that requires. As we said before, you're on the road for a long time, you drive so many races a year, and so many things happen in front of you during the race . It's perfectly normal to burn out . It's perfectly normal to be exhausted.

What do people do to relax? As you said, you've just returned from the race in Brazil. A few days earlier? Yes. That was two days ago. Two days ago. Yes, two days ago. What did you have to do in those two days to feel normal again, if normality even is a reality? I love music. I play the piano. I've seen videos of it. You're pretty good. Yes. Somehow, but good enough to enjoy it and switch off from everything. And for me, piano and music in general are a great way to escape the pressure of Formula 1, of Formula 1 as a whole.

You don't sing, though. No, no, better yet, I won't sing. I just play the piano, but yes , playing the piano is definitely one of the things I love most to unwind and recharge my batteries . And had that been a part of your life for a very, very long time, throughout the entire journey? Not at all, actually. I started during COVID. Lots of time at home. I had the simulators. I drove a lot practically every day. But yes, actually with Twitch. But after two or two and a half weeks, it became quite tiring to do that all day.

So I bought a piano, started playing, and I loved it. Wow. Yes, and what did you do? How did you teach yourself? Did you teach yourself to play ? Was it one way or the other? Yes, when we were younger, my younger brother always had a piano. So I sometimes played it, but I never took any lessons or anything like that . And I thought COVID would be a good time to learn a little more , to challenge myself a little more, and to try to understand a little better how everything works.

So I took a few hours, about five or six, but I very quickly realized that I was n't finished with the lessons yet. So I simply taught myself to play the piano and tried to find melodies and music that I liked. Yes, sometimes I thought I'd been playing the piano for an hour, and then I'd look at the clock and four or five hours had passed. I really, really liked it . How much time do you have each year where you truly have time for your family, your friends, and yourself?

I would say maybe 40 days. 40 days a year? Yes, about 30 or 40 days a year. We have 2 weeks, 2 weeks and a half in August and then 2 weeks, 2 weeks and a half in December. For Christmas and stuff. But the good thing about Formula 1 is that we travel all around the world. But for years you've been going to the same places. This way you get to know new people in the city and have circles of friends all over the world, which is also really nice.

Whenever I go to Brazil, whether here in Los Angeles or Miami, I have my circle of friends there. So it's always great to come back for the race. Of course, you want to drive as much as possible and get back in the car as soon as possible. But at the same time, you also have your friends there. So my private life hasn't suffered much. My mother can now accompany me to the races. I think when I was a child it was a bit more difficult because sometimes you had to leave school for two or three weeks to take part in different races.

And you don't spend as much time with your friends at home there. As a child, I didn't speak Italian or English. So when you go to the go- kart tracks, you can't really talk to anyone. That's a bit the more difficult part. But at the same time, I was incredibly happy to go to the racetrack and drive a kart. That made up for everything. People looked at those they found fascinating or who became role models and mentors, even if they didn't know them personally. Or is it more a personal love and inspiration?

I'm really trying to be the best version of myself. However, there was one driver who, for me, was the best of all time, and that was Ayrton Senna. I never had the opportunity to meet him in person because I am too young. But through films and books I was able to learn more about him as a person and his achievements in Formula 1. I have always admired him, and he was also my father's idol. I think that also played a role. What was so special about his driving style that we know from the films and books?

What was so special about him? Simply put, his precision at that time was remarkable . We've already talked about a much more dangerous time in Formula 1. Unfortunately, he lost his life on the track , but he was so precise and in Monaco he was something very special. He was special everywhere he went, but even more so in Monaco. Being in Monaco and watching the videos from his onboard camera of his qualifying laps in Monaco was simply crazy. Our simulator is amazing. Yes . It is located in a room that is perhaps five or six times larger than this one, and it is like a giant simulator that moves around to try to reproduce the G-forces .

Now they are really being challenged, but you are only driving for yourself, so you can't reproduce a race or anything like that. You just go around in circles on your own. Where is this simulator, this station? Where do we go? In Maranello. OK. Yes . And that's the simulator you're in all year round; for the three days you sit in a real car. Yes . So you spend three days in the real car, and then everything else takes place in the simulator. Explain to us how this simulator feels.

Just as you briefly described it, but please explain to us what it offers and what it does n't. What it offers extremely well is that the engineers have managed to recreate the driving feel of the real car extremely closely. What it doesn't give you, and in my opinion never will , is of course adrenaline, because you're in a simulator; you crash, press the restart button, and then it continues, which is somewhat more difficult in reality. And then there are the G-forces, because we have a huge platform that reproduces the G-forces, but you only move from right to left and then it stops.

In a Formula 1 car, G-forces are always at work when you turn right, until you stop turning right, which, um, yeah, makes a big difference . Being precise on a relatively stable platform is one thing; Being precise in a Formula 1 car with all the vibrations and G-forces the body is subjected to is a completely different matter. This makes things a bit more complicated. I wanted to ask you something. I've already thought about that, and I'm bringing it up again now because I wanted to ask you what your father would say to you if he were here and could see you.

How do you think he would react to your trip? I think he would be very proud of you , because he passed away a year before I entered Formula 1. That was very difficult because I unfortunately hadn't yet signed my Formula 1 contract , which would have been the ultimate goal for our family . I mean, Formula 1 is really where you want to be when you start a racing career. That's where they want to go one day. But I had lied to him, uh, two days before he died, and I said to him, "Look, I've signed my Formula 1 contract.

The year was going well. I was pretty confident that this would happen, but I knew it was only a matter of days before he died." And I remember the night I said that to my mother, and she was quite angry with me and said, "You should n't lie to your father." And that stayed on my mind for months . And fortunately, I signed my contract a month later. He was no longer here. And then I found much more peace within myself because I told myself, "Okay, I did n't lie to my father." And I told him the truth.

I foresaw things , but everything is fine . And that was a really good moment because, as I said, Formula 1 is really the goal for every driver , and it was hard to accept that he was leaving without knowing what the rest was. But I think he'll be really proud, as much as we're doing on the track right now this year, without going into too much detail, but it's not the best year ever. We're struggling a bit with the performance of our car, but yes, I'm still driving for Ferrari and in Formula 1, so he'll be happy.

Me too. I think I would have lived very badly with a life like this for the rest of my life , so I'm happy. I did everything I could to make it happen. It happened. And he sacrificed a lot for me too . I never like to say that I've sacrificed anything in my life because I haven't. I simply did everything I wanted to do, which was racing. Even though I wasn't home much as a kid, I spent my time at the racetrack , which is what I love most.

He, on the other hand, sacrificed a lot because, unfortunately, motorsport is a very expensive sport . He had to save so I could do what I love most: driving. I was aware of that. On top of that, he couldn't see my mother very often because he was always with me at the races. I think he made far more sacrifices than I did because for me it was always pure pleasure. Is racing a solitary sport? I imagine everyone is very competitive. I can't imagine drivers being friends and hanging out afterward, because I don't know.

I mean, you can tell me. I actually have a really good friend on the starting grid, Pierre Gasly. We grew up together. We started with karting. We drove our first race together in 2005. We were about seven or eight years old then. We raced together in the French Championship and became really good friends. Our families are very close too. So we even went on holiday together. And then we found ourselves in Formula 1. But believe me, as soon as I close my visor and put on a helmet, he's a nobody anymore.

He feels the same way, we know that. But when we're not in the car, we have a really, really close friendship. You can have friends, but it's very difficult to make friends if you didn't already know the person before you got into Formula 1 , because it's such a competitive world. Everyone wants to be on top. Everyone wants to do everything to their own advantage. Because in the end, we want to win. We want to be the best on the track. So there's a lot of respect, but we don't give each other anything.

And as much as I'm friends with Pierre, I don't give him advice or anything like that . I just want to beat him, just like I want to beat everyone else on the track. But I do n't think it's a lonely sport. Because ultimately, it's a team sport. The only difference is that the team works a bit behind the scenes , because when you watch Formula 1 , you mainly see the driver driving the car. But behind the scenes, the mechanics make sure everything is perfectly fitted.

The engineers work to optimize the car as much as possible, and then there's a lot of strategy during the race. So there are many, many people in the background talking and connected to me via radio. I have to talk to the guys in the pits while I'm driving, and that's an important part of racing. What are your dreams and visions of being one of the best and winning a world championship? What would that mean to you? Simply the feeling of victory. Of course, I've won a few races in Formula 1.

And the feeling you get when you've achieved that victory is incredible because you know you gave it your all on the track , but it depends on so many other people doing the right things. Mhm. Whenever you manage that, it's an incredible joy, not just... for you, but also for many others. Than the 1,500 people who work at the factory in Maranello for the Formula 1 program . It's just crazy. So many people are involved, and when you achieve that as a team, it's an incredible feeling.

Yes, the victory, the taste of victory, is what motivates me. Every morning I wake up thinking about it. Every day, as it gets a little harder to wake up and go to practice, I think about winning the World Championship one day and the feeling that gives me, and yes, that's what motivates me. What would you say to your future self from here ? What would you say to your future self? Well done. That's a pretty easy question. Yes. To remember your entire career. Yes, yes, your journey.

And to remember every single difficult moment when you thought you wouldn't make it. Those difficult moments I've gone through in my career sometimes make you think: I wo n't make it in Formula 1, I I wo n't become world champion. Well, yes , if I do become world champion, I will. I keep telling myself that I should think about every single moment when I thought it wasn't possible. I still tell myself that today, to the younger person I was, who sometimes thought he'd never make it to Formula 1.

There are only 20 drivers in the world. Why me? And yes, you should remember those moments and tell yourself that with hard work and motivation, you can achieve anything. How often do you work with younger drivers and up-and-coming people ? And do you enjoy it? Yes, I love it. I actually had an incredible experience . I was at a kart race a few months ago, I think three or four months ago. It's been a long time since I've been to a kart race and watched kids.

I was visiting my younger cousin, who's just starting out in karting. I went there with no expectations whatsoever. I arrived at the track and all the kids were around me, and their eyes They were full of joy and admiration. That made me feel special. I remember a little from my childhood when a Formula 1 driver would come to the track and everyone would think he was a god. And seeing that in the children's eyes was something truly special. Because ultimately, I live my own life. Sometimes I'm not even aware that I'm now a Formula 1 Ferrari driver.

It's something very special, something I've always dreamed of, as I've often said. But for me, I'm still me. For my mother, I'm still her son. So I'm around people whose presence is normal. But when I'm with children and participate in kart races, where you do n't see Formula 1 drivers every day, then you realize how special it is. Even the smallest gesture—and I remember this from my childhood—the smallest gesture a Formula 1 driver makes towards me will change my life. I'll think about it for months, that I met Michael Schumacher.

I met them when I was six or seven years old. The day is still exactly the same as yesterday. So yes, I really do spend a lot of time with the children and try to make them as happy as possible. It was great to see the impact it had on them and how happy they were when we first met. For me, it was nothing special. I might have spent an hour with them, but it definitely meant a lot to them. It was something very special. How would you describe my journey so far ?

I think having a clear vision helped me from a very, very young age . I did start when I was three and a half , maybe from three and a half to five, but it was just for fun. But from the age of five, every time I went out on the track , I would say, "Yes, I love what I do, but I want to be the best. " It was super important for me to get away from the track in the evenings and learn something new.

I've made progress in terms of driving and understanding karting and all those things. And I have always maintained that. I have set myself very clear goals. Goals, realistic goals, and where I wanted to go. Mhm. Not in 10 or 15 years, because that would be much too far away, but in 1 or 2 months. These were small steps, but always small steps in the right direction. And I think that definitely helped me to achieve one small goal after another in order to reach the big goal.

Of course, becoming a Formula 1 driver was the ultimate goal, and even more so at Ferrari. But it is the various small steps I have taken and the various goals I have set for myself throughout my career. How do you prepare for a big day, for a race, and how do you end the day after the race? Cold baths. I begin and end it like this . Well, on both days. Yes, yes. I love it. It's great for the body, especially for our sport. We have extremely high temperatures in the cockpit.

Therefore, it is extremely important to cool the body as deeply as possible before the race, and afterwards I take another cold bath for regeneration. Question number 4. What did you learn about yourself during your Formula 1 journey ? Something you have learned about yourself personally. That I am much stronger than I initially thought. I entered Formula 1 when I was still a child . So you join a team of 1,500 people, with media, with a lot of pressure, and sometimes you immediately ask yourself: Am I ready for this?

I used to drive karts alone with my father as my mechanic , and now I'm in Formula 1 with 1,500 people working to build the best car for me . Lots of media attention, lots of pressure. Am I ready for this? It's me . So, yes, maybe I am stronger than I initially thought. Is there anything I haven't asked you yet , anything you wanted to share today, anything on your mind, anything that's been on your mind, anything you're thinking, "Jay , I really wanted to talk about this, but maybe we haven't.

" I want to give you the floor so you can share everything . It's been a really good conversation. So, no, I think you've touched on everything . Okay, good. Yes, no, I wanted to give you the opportunity because I'm so grateful we had this time, and the words I'll remember you by are definitely grateful and humble. I love those words. I love that your family raised you that way. I love that this topic came up in our conversation today . I felt like I could feel your sincerity.

You still have a childlike love for what you do. All of that, definitely. And I think that's so rare. Uh, you know, we all get tired, jaded, stressed, whatever, and this is Completely natural. But it 's amazing that you stuck with it. And I think it's thanks to your wonderful parents and family that they ... Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks, man. Thank you. Thank you. If this clip has helped you and you'd like to watch something else, this next video has been specially selected for you based on your viewing habits.

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