Charles Leclerc's chat with F1 icon Michael Schumacher and special request made
Charles Leclerc is carving a reputation for himself as part of Ferrari's Formula 1 team, but he started out just like any fan of the sport - by being starstruck during a meeting with the legendary Michael Schumacher.
Monegasque driver Leclerc finished fifth in the 2023 F1 Drivers' Championship, just six points clear of Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz. He committed his long-term future to the team in January, and will be joined by Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season after the former world champion's shock decision to leave Mercedes.
Ferrari's golden years at the start of the 21st century came with Schumacher behind the wheel. The German won five straight titles, with Ferrari also claiming the Constructors' Championship every season between 1999 and 2005.
Leclerc, who made his Ferrari F1 debut in 2019 was just a child when Schumacher enjoyed his dominant spell. And he has spoken of a meeting at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, when the multiple world champion was near the peak of his powers.
"I was testing on the karting track. Michael was testing on the F1 track," Leclerc wrote while sharing a photo of the two together. "He signed our overalls, talked to us for a little bit before going back inside the pits. Definitely a special moment. I never thought I would be driving for the same team he was driving for back then."
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In an interview with Formula1.com, Leclerc shed more light on the meeting. "I was very, very impressed, that is the biggest thing I remember," he said. "To tell you exactly what we spoke about is difficult because the only thing I remember is looking at his red overalls, looking at him, and being just as a normal child would be, watching Michael at that time.
"It was very special. I remember coming into the paddock, we had an opportunity to see him. It was all very exciting. It was a test day for us on the karting track. I asked him to sign my overall. Then he had to go to the engineers. He was very nice, we were lucky in the paddock, nobody there. He took a bit of time to talk to us. It was really nice."
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Michael Schumacher was a multiple world champion with Ferrari (AFP via Getty Images)Schumacher, who ended his F1 career with Mercedes in 2012, suffered a serious brain injury after a skiing accident in 2013. The German, now 55, returned home for treatment the following year, with little revealed about his condition in the years since.
Ferrari have not won a Constructor's Championship since 2008, shortly after Schumacher left the team. They took third spot in 2023, three points behind Mercedes and more than 400 adrift of runaway champions Red Bull, with Leclerc and Sainz each securing multiple podium finishes.
The 2025 season will be the last with the Leclerc-Sainz pairing, with Hamilton due to succeed the Spaniard. While Hamilton is set to finish his career with the Italian team, the exact length of Leclerc's new multi-year contract was not confirmed when Ferrari announced the deal.
Charles Leclerc has committed his future to Ferrari (PA)"I'm very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come," Leclerc said upon inking the new deal. "To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old - I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend's apartment at Ste. Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars.
"This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years. However, I believe the best is yet to come.
"I can't wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race. My dream remains that of winning the world championship with Ferrari and I'm sure that, in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy."
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