Charles Leclerc says he has gone through three different phases as both his popularity and Formula 1 have grown since he first appeared on the grid.
The Monegasque driver made his F1 debut with Alfa Romeo in 2018, a year after Liberty Media completed its takeover of the sport. Promoted to Ferrari just a year later, Leclerc’s popularity increased rapidly, and the 28-year-old says there have been clear periods of adjustment during that time.
“My life has definitely changed a lot,” Leclerc told RACER. “Really huge.
“I’ve gone through three phases. Obviously there’s the first phase where you’re still nobody – people don’t really recognize you – and that’s probably my first year in Formula 1. You’re held back a bit.
“In the second phase you obviously get stopped more and more often. And it’s something you enjoy initially, because you think: ‘Okay, I’ve always dreamed of being in that position as a Formula 1 driver, especially at Ferrari, and I get so much support everywhere, and that’s something very special to be alive.’ And for that, I was, am and will forever be grateful to be in that position.
“And then there’s the third phase where you might want a little more privacy about some things. But ultimately I’m so lucky to be doing what I love. In the team I’ve always dreamed of driving for, and to have so much support everywhere.”
“Yes, there is a little less privacy. Or you can have privacy, but you have to organize yourself much better than when I just had a normal life! But it has so many good aspects that it is not a problem, and I cannot complain about it.”
Leclerc announced his engagement to Alexandra Saint Mleux in November and said the interest in his personal life is not something he will always shy away from. Instead, he cited the biggest challenge as preventing the on-track results from having an overpowering influence on his family and friends.
“It’s more like sometimes you just want to spend a moment with your mom and just be normal and live a normal life, and that’s a little harder now,” he said. “Of course the news about the engagement wasn’t that private because we obviously shared it ourselves! And it’s nice to share some of that really positive news for us and for the people who follow us.
“Naturally [it’s tough to separate F1 results and personal life] especially because Formula 1 is such a big part of my life. I mean, I’ve worked… I hate to say ‘work’ because I’ve always loved driving, but I’ve done that all my life and it means so much to me.
“All I have is family, friends and racing. And when you’re that passionate about something, you live those moments to the fullest. And that means that in some ways the emotions definitely spill over into your personal life a little bit too.
“If I have a really bad race, then I come back home. And if I have a great race, then I come back home happier. But I think with experience you have to separate the two as much as possible because at the end of the day you just have to reset. After every race, my main goal is to reset, whether it’s a good one or a bad one, just reset and go again.”
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