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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.
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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.”
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.
