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Jay Shetty Podcast

F1 Driver Charles Leclerc Unveils The Real Behind The Scenes of Formula 1 Racing

Join us for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a professional race car driver, @charles_leclerc.

Charles LeclercguestJay Shettyhost

May 27, 20241h 5mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Meeting the Person Behind the Helmet and the Architect Alternative
Jay Shetty welcomes Charles Leclerc and asks why he chose to do this interview. Leclerc says it's a chance to show the person behind the helmet, and says he'd probably have been an architect, though it never helped his racing.
- •Leclerc says interviews usually focus on his racing, and this one lets him show more of himself
- •Drivers wear helmets, so it's hard to put a face to the name
- •He'd probably have been an architect, because he loves design
- •He left school early to chase racing, so architecture never fed into his driving
Starting Karting at Three and a Half
Leclerc recounts how he got into a kart by coincidence at three and a half after skipping school. He describes the first laps on a rope-led kart and the adrenaline of being in control.
- •He said he was ill to skip school and went with his father to a friend's karting track
- •The track owner, Jules Bianchi's father Philippe Bianchi, had a kart ready for a three-and-a-half-year-old
- •The rope was removed after one lap and he drove until the fuel ran out
- •He can't remember it, but his father's photos bring the day back
Surviving the Grueling Season: Planning, Sleep and Diet
Leclerc explains how the workload grows from karting to a 24-race Formula 1 season. He describes arriving in his first year as a mess and now relying on a team, strict sleep of 10-11 hours, a dietician and hydration planning.
- •The calendar grows from karting near home to 24 races worldwide plus events and simulator work
- •In his first year he flew himself and arrived exhausted
- •Sleep is his number one priority, at around 10-11 hours a night, though he can't sleep on planes
- •A dietician in Milan manages his diet, and he can lose three and a half to four kilos of water in a race
Training the Neck and Breathing
Leclerc describes the physical demands unique to F1. The neck is hard to train in a gym, so driving itself is the main preparation, and breathing under G-forces involves apnea in the corners.
- •Some muscles, especially in the neck, are used in no other sport
- •Elastics only partly reproduce the neck load, and drivers are exhausted after the first day of practice in February
- •Cardio training is very important
- •Breathing is hard under G-forces, so drivers do apnea in the corners
Being Harsh on Yourself and Resetting Corner by Corner
Asked about his weaker mindset in karting, Leclerc says he was extremely harsh on himself and it hurt his confidence. In the car there's no time to dwell, because adrenaline forces a reset at every corner, while the long wait between races was the harder part.
- •Being honest with himself is now a strength, but he used to put himself down after mistakes
- •How you react to a mistake determines whether you learn from it
- •In the car you have to mentally reset at every corner, within a second
- •Dwelling on mistakes between races, and others' opinions, hurt him more
Never Afraid in the Car: Gratitude and Staying in Love with Racing
Leclerc says he has never feared going back on track because he remembers the dream of being a Ferrari driver. He keeps his joy through the adrenaline and the talented people around him, and he admits off-track fears like snakes and bungee jumping.
- •He remembers dreaming at seven or eight of being a Ferrari F1 driver and still wants a world championship
- •Working with talented engineers and mechanics keeps the sport interesting
- •He smiles whenever he puts the helmet on
- •Off track he hates snakes and couldn't do a bungee jump, though he loved skydiving
Losing His Father and Channeling Grief into Growth
Leclerc talks about losing his father in 2017 and how it forced him to grow up and take on responsibilities for his family. He describes asking what his father would want and racing in Baku.
- •His father was his mentor and had also been a driver
- •He had to manage planning and take care of his mother and younger brother
- •He asked himself what his father would want and decided to try to win the Formula 2 race in Baku
- •His father was honest and supportive, stepped back at races and discussed the weekend afterward
Stay Humble and Grateful
Leclerc says his father's two key words were humble and grateful, and recalls being reminded he was only six despite winning many races. He says he never worked on humility deliberately but reminds himself to keep working hard in good times and to stay grateful in bad ones.
- •His father's advice was to stay humble and grateful
- •Even when he won 18 of 24 races as a child, his father reminded him Formula 1 was a long way off
- •In good moments it is easy to work less, so he reminds himself that struggling rivals will catch up
- •Pressure is greater as a Ferrari driver, and gratitude helps in difficult moments
Criticism, Social Media and Being Misjudged
Leclerc says the criticism that hurts most is the kind that attacks who he is, such as being called arrogant. He describes the shock of F1's spotlight compared with Formula 2 and says he now values only the opinions of those he loves.
- •Criticism of his character hurts more than criticism of his driving
- •Social media lets people who don't know him comment easily
- •In his first Formula 1 year he read everything said about him
- •He uses social media to show his true self and accepts he won't be liked by everyone
The Danger of Racing and Losing Friends
Leclerc says he's scared when his brother races because he knows how dangerous the sport is, though he feels no fear when he drives. He recounts losing Jules Bianchi and a friend, Antoine, and having to focus fully on driving through the corners where they died.
- •Watching his brother race is torture, and he's most concerned with his brother's safety
- •His top speed is around 370 kph, but he says braking and corner speed are the impressive parts
- •He has only three days in the new car before the first race and otherwise practices on simulators
- •He lost Jules Bianchi in 2014 and Antoine in 2019, and had negative thoughts in the corners where they died
Rush, Old F1 Cars and Playing Piano
They discuss the movie Rush and how much safer F1 has become, and Leclerc describes driving Niki Lauda's old car. He says he recovers from the pressure by playing piano, which he taught himself during COVID.
- •He loves Rush as a representation of the sport back then
- •Old cars had almost no safety, and he believes drivers then had to be brave
- •In Lauda's car he used a clutch and shifter, whereas modern cars shift electronically
- •He started piano during COVID and can lose hours playing
Little Time for Family, Ayrton Senna and the Simulator
Leclerc says he gets around 30-40 days a year at home but has friends in many race cities. He names Ayrton Senna, his father's idol, as the best driver ever and explains what the Maranello simulator does and doesn't replicate.
- •He gets about 30-40 days a year for family and friends
- •He admires Senna's precision, especially in Monaco
- •The simulator closely reproduces the car's feel but not the adrenaline or sustained G-forces
- •He drives alone in the simulator, which sits in Maranello
The Lie to His Father and His Father's Sacrifices
Asked what his father would say now, Leclerc says he'd be proud, and recounts telling him two days before he died that he had signed his Formula 1 contract. He signed a month later and found peace, and he speaks about his father's sacrifices.
- •His father died a year before he reached Formula 1
- •He told his father he'd signed the contract before it was true, and his mother was angry
- •He signed a month later and felt at peace that he hadn't really lied
- •His father made financial and personal sacrifices that Leclerc says he never made himself
Is Racing Lonely? Friendship and Team
Leclerc says F1 is not lonely because it's a team sport, even if rivals are hard to befriend. His close friend Pierre Gasly grew up racing with him, but on track they give nothing away.
- •He has been friends with Pierre Gasly since karting, but friendship vanishes once the visor is down
- •It's hard to make friendships in F1 because everyone wants the upper hand
- •The mechanics, engineers and strategists work in the shadow
- •He talks with the pit team over the radio during races
Winning, Younger Drivers and Setting Small Goals
Leclerc says victory and the thought of a world championship motivate him, partly because of the 1,500 people in Maranello. He describes the joy of meeting young karters and credits clear vision and small steps for his path.
- •Winning brings joy to over 1,500 people at the Maranello factory
- •His message to a future world-champion self is to remember every difficult moment
- •He loved meeting kids at a karting race and recalls meeting Michael Schumacher as a child
- •He set realistic one-to-two-month goals, small steps in the right direction
Final Five Rapid-Fire Questions
Jay Shetty puts the Final Five questions to Leclerc, who answers on advice, mistakes, cold baths, strength and kindness. The episode closes with Jay's thanks and praise for Leclerc's gratitude and humility.
- •Best advice is his father's: stay humble, be grateful and work hard
- •Worst advice is "don't make this mistake," since mistakes help you learn
- •He uses cold baths before and after races
- •He learned he's stronger than he thought, and he'd make a law to be nice and respectful to everybody

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