Former Ferrari boss says Charles Leclerc told him "I have to win this race, then I’ll bury my father" post his father’s death

Charles Leclerc impressed former Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene with his maturity during his Formula 2 days.

Leclerc has faced quite a few moments of emotional distress in his career. He lost his godfather Jules Bianchi in 2015 and then his father in 2017, right before the Formula 2 Azerbaijan GP weekend.

Arrivabene recently talked about how he met Leclerc on his flight to Baku. Surprised to find him there, he asked Leclerc what he was doing, to which the Monegasque replied that he would win the race and then bury his father.

Arrivabene told Sky Italy:

"We were on the same flight to Baku last year and I asked him what he was doing on the flight considering what happened to him. He replied: 'I have to win this race, then I’ll go back and bury my father.'"

Leclerc would go on to win his first Formula 2 race in Baku, paying perfect tribute to his father.

His willingness to race amid the tough situation of losing his father was what moved Arrivabene. Leclerc was promoted to F1 a season later with Sauber, and in 2018 he found his way to the Scuderia.

The team had a long history of signing only the most experienced drivers, but Charles Leclerc was the one who broke the trend. He was also given a record-breaking long contract.

Arrivabene added:

"There I understood that Charles knows how to take his responsibilities. There I understood that the boy is there. If someone manages to concentrate in such a situation, what is a Formula One Grand Prix compared to this?"

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Charles Leclerc says he has a "great" relationship with teammate Carlos Sainz

The 2021 season saw Carlos Sainz move to Ferrari as his stint with McLaren got over, and he and Leclerc have shared some happy times together since.

However, this season there has been speculation amongst fans on social media that not all is well between the two. Some have claimed that the team prefers one over the other during races, and even though Sainz has been better than Charles Leclerc on many occasions, there have been questions regarding his performance.

But as Leclerc recently told Autosport, the two share a very great relationship:

"I am quite active on social media, so I see what's been said all around, It's blown out of proportion, I think, with Carlos. We have a great relationship. Outside the car, we know how to work together, and we get on really well together because we share lots of interests."