Leclerc celebrates birth of daughter Bianca ahead of Brazil GP

Charles Leclerc and his wife, Alexandra, have officially welcomed their first child – a baby daughter named Bianca.

The Ferrari driver remains in Monaco following the joyous news, making him likely to miss Thursday’s traditional media commitments ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix as family takes priority during this special milestone.

While the new father’s absence from the Interlagos paddock on Thursday will not compromise his race weekend preparations, Ferrari has confirmed reserve driver Dino Beganovic will take over Leclerc’s SF-26 for Friday's opening practice session (FP1).

This arrangement gives Leclerc vital extra time to travel to Interlagos while helping the Scuderia meet its mandatory rookie FP1 running quotas.

Beganovic will be making his fourth rookie FP1 appearance of the season alongside Lewis Hamilton, having previously logged mileage in Bahrain and Austria.

The Swedish youngster stepped into the role after original plans for Brazilian driver Rafael Câmara were reshuffled; Haas called up Câmara to replace Esteban Ocon for this weekend, handing the Formula 2 star a surprise Grand Prix debut on home soil.

With baby Bianca's arrival marking the ultimate victory away from the track, the nine-time Grand Prix winner heads into Interlagos with a brand-new chapter underway.

Read also: Hamilton hits out at Leclerc's 'do or die' mentality

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