Charles Leclerc claimed a second victory in Monza last weekend, bringing glory to the Tifosi on home soil. The Maranello squad’s upgrades proved highly effective, putting them back in the fight for wins. However, Leclerc hopes to race for Ferrari beyond Formula 1.
Leclerc sets his sights on 24hrs of LeMans
Only a few active F1 drivers have competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans over the last decade. On the current grid, only Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg have won the 24-hour race.
Owing to the intense schedules that drivers are subject to, especially as the F1 calendar grows in size, racing in other categories is very difficult.
Despite this, Charles Leclerc makes clear that competing in the iconic race is an objective:
“I mean, I really want to race in Le Mans one day,” he told the media.
“Indianapolis [The Indy 500] is not something I have my eye on. Maybe one day.
“But Le Mans is definitely one of the races I definitely want to compete in one day. So, yes. I don’t know when, but hopefully soon.”
An advantage that Leclerc has over other F1 drivers who want to race in Le Mans, is that Ferrari already have a programme in the World Endurance Championship.
This would make a one-off experience relatively easy to organise. Moreover, unlike others who are less established with their teams, Ferrari are unlikely to stand in Leclerc’s way if he is adamant about this experience.
His relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur and other senior personnel at Maranello gives him an element of flexibility.
Then again, the Monegasque is not the only F1 driver to talk about entering LeMans. However, there is a big step between wanting to race in Le Mans and actually racing in the 24-hour event.
Assuming that Ferrari continue their current trajectory, they could be fighting for the Championship next year. In this context, committing to any outside events could be seen as impractical or a waste of resources.
