Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc maintains that he is more than happy to provide personal support to his brother Arthur, but sees the importance of letting him “find his own way” when it comes to his racing career.
Arthur Leclerc won two races on his way to a 10th-placed Formula 3 finish last season with Prema, and is aiming to follow in his brother’s footsteps by making it to Formula 1.
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Charles began his F1 career with Sauber in 2018 after winning the 2017 Formula 2 title and would go on to sign for Ferrari in only his second year in the sport, winning two races in 2019.
Eight podiums in the last two seasons have epitomised Ferrari’s struggles in recent times, but pole positions in Monaco and Baku last year reminded us of the prowess that the Monegasque has brought with him into the sport.
The 24-year-old is on hand to help his younger brother out in personal matters, but maintains that Arthur must figure the professional aspects out himself.
“Arthur knows I’m there for any personal things he needs,” he told the official Ferrari magazine.
“But when it comes to racing, I prefer to let him find his own way and to make progress on his own, which I think is very important in this sport.”
However, he revealed that the 21-year-old lends his affinity and advice during race weekends.
“Sometimes, during a race weekend, when Arthur is following my Formula 1 race on TV he spots things that maybe I’ve not noticed from inside the cockpit, and he lets me know, to try and help me, which is always nice,” explained Charles.
“So, the support goes both ways.”
While the pair may have embarked in a career in racing, Charles reveals that the brotherhood he shares with Arthur is just the same as any closely aged sibling relationship.
“Our relationship is the normal kind of relationship that you find between brothers when there’s not much age difference between them,” he added.
Their relationship also extends to sibling rivalries.
“We’ve always been competitive, especially when we were younger. When we were little, being three years younger than me, he always wanted to do the same things that I did.
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“Whereas when I was 8 or 9 it was quite easy to beat him, as grown-ups that 3-year age advantage has disappeared so nowadays it’s really hard to get the better of him, especially at tennis or padel.
“The competitiveness between us is still very keen.”
Ferrari ended the 2021 Constructors’ Championship third, as Leclerc finished seventh in the Drivers’ Standings, outscored by Carlos Sainz in the Spaniard’s debut season with the Scuderia.
Arthur will once again race in Formula 3 with Prema this year.
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