Charles Leclerc reveals heartbreaking story of how his father’s death changed him ‘forever’: “Nothing prepares you”

Charles Leclerc revealed the emotional turmoil he experienced when he lost his father, Herve Leclerc, back in 2017. The now-Ferrari driver was driving for F2 team Prema Racing in 2017 when his father, unfortunately, passed away.

Despite the heavy burden of losing a father on his shoulder, the Monegasque went on to win the 2017 F2 feature race in Baku and tributed his win to Leclerc Sr. Herve Leclerc succumbed to a long and arduous battle with cancer at the age of 54, changing his son's life forever in the process. Earlier, Leclerc also lost his godfather, the F1 driver Jules Bianchi, who passed away at the 2014 Japanese GP, leading to immense mental trauma for the Scuderia driver. The driver has now, however, developed a healthy mindset regarding Herve's death, claiming that dealing with loss has made him a stronger person in general.

As written by Remi Boudoul in his book Le Prodige, Charles Leclerc spoke about his father's death, saying:

"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."

---

Charles Leclerc comments on new team principal Frederic Vasseur

Charles Leclerc and Frederic Vasseur were initially paired up at Alfa Romeo in 2018 when the Monegasque driver made his F1 debut. The Frenchman has now joined the Scuderia as their team principal, replacing Mattia Binotto. The synergy between the duo is tipped to be good for the Maranello-based team, who often suffered from poor strategic choices in 2022, leading to Red Bull's domination.

Before Vasseur's signing, Leclerc sat with the media at the annual FIA prize-giving ceremony in Bologna to explain his links to the Frenchman. He said:

"Ferrari is a very different team to any other teams. I can only comment on my experience with Fred which obviously has been good, I've worked with him already in the junior categories when he believed in me. We've always had a good relationship, but that shouldn't influence any of the decisions. He's always been very straightforward and very honest - it is something I've liked from Fred. Whether it will be him or not, I don't know. Hopefully we'll see in the next few months."

Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur's history of working together will likely play into Ferrari's hands in 2023, especially if they are capable of challenging for this year's title. It will be interesting to see if the Scuderia can rise back to the top of the sport for the first time since 2007.