Charles Leclerc still remembers what it felt like to arrive in Formula 1 quietly, almost anonymously. Seven seasons on, life looks very different – and the Ferrari driver admits the journey from “nobody” to global star has reshaped not just his career, but his everyday existence.
From his Sauber debut in 2018 to becoming one of the sport’s most recognisable figures, Leclerc says his rise has unfolded in clear stages, each bringing its own lessons.
Looking back, Leclerc doesn’t shy away from how dramatically things have changed since his first year on the grid.
“My life has definitely changed a lot,” Leclerc told RACER’s Chris Medland. “Massively actually.
“I went through three phases. Obviously, there's the first phase where you are still nobody – people don't really recognize you – and that's probably my first year in Formula 1. You get stopped a little bit.”
That anonymity didn’t last long. A rapid promotion to Ferrari in 2019 coincided with Formula 1’s explosion in popularity under Liberty Media – and Leclerc suddenly found himself at the centre of it all.
“The second phase is, obviously you get stopped more and more often,” he added.
“And it's something that you enjoy at first, because you're like, ‘OK, I've always dreamed of being in that position of being a Formula 1 driver, especially with Ferrari, and I get so much support everywhere I go, and that is a very special thing to live’.
“And for that I was, I am, and I will forever be, grateful to be in that position.”
Gratitude, though, eventually had to coexist with boundaries.
“And then the third phase is when maybe you will want a bit more privacy on some of the things,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, I'm so lucky to be doing what I love, in the team I've always dreamed of driving for, having so much support everywhere.
“Yes, there's a little bit less privacy. Or, you can have privacy, but you need to organize yourself much better than when I just had a normal life! But it comes with so many good sides that it's not a problem, and I cannot complain about it.”
Leclerc’s engagement to Alexandra Saint Mleux last November offered another glimpse into how public his private world had become – something he approaches with openness rather than resistance.
“It's more like sometimes you just want to spend a moment with your mom and just be normal and live a normal life, and that is a bit more difficult now," he said.
"Of course, the news of the engagement wasn't so private as we obviously shared it ourselves! And it's nice to be sharing some of those really positive news for us and for the people that follow us.”
The harder part, he admits, is stopping the emotional highs and lows of racing from spilling too deeply into the lives of those closest to him.
“Of course [it’s tough to separate F1 results and personal life] especially because Formula 1 is such a big part of my life. I mean, I've worked… I hate to say 'work' because I've always loved driving, but I've done that all my life and it means so much to me,” he explained.
“Everything that I have is family, friends and racing. And when you are so passionate about something, you live those moments to the fullest. And that means that the emotions are definitely in some ways drifting a little bit on your personal life as well.”
Leclerc doesn’t pretend otherwise.
“If I have a very bad race, then I'll come back home down. And if I have a great race, then I'll come back home happier,” he admitted.
“But then I think with experience, you try and separate the two as much as possible, because at the end of the day, you just have to reset. After every race, my main target is to reset, whether it's a good one or a bad one, just reset and go again.”
For Leclerc, fame has brought complexity, scrutiny and sacrifice – but also perspective. From the quiet days at Sauber to the relentless spotlight of Ferrari, his life may have changed massively, but the priorities at its core remain strikingly simple: family, friends and racing – and the discipline to reset when the world gets too loud.
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