Earlier this Formula 1 season Charles Leclerc checked a huge item off his personal to-do list.
Charles Leclerc, Olympian?
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc talked about carrying the Olympic Torch, and the future of motorsport in the Games, at the Austrian Grand Prix
Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
He finally won his home race, the Monaco Grand Prix, after years of heartbreak.
That accomplishment opened the door to another honor for the driver, the chance to carry the Olympic torch as it crossed through the Principality on its way to Paris for the 2024 Summer Games.
Speaking at the FIA Press Conference on Thursday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Leclerc talked about the opportunity.
“I mean, it was a huge honor for me to be able to carry the Olympic torch, especially in my home country in Monaco,” said Leclerc on Thursday. “So it was definitely a very special moment.”
Leclerc also addressed the potential of seeing motorsports in the Olympic Games, which was discussed ahead of solidifying the slate of sports for the 2028 Summer Games, set to take place in Los Angeles. While motorsport was officially left off the list of competitions for 2028, it remains a dream of many to see horsepower of a different sport in the Olympics.
Including Leclerc.
“It would be great to have motorsport at the Olympics. However, I think it’s a bit more difficult to [organize] than other sports because obviously we are all driving for different constructors with different cars in Formula 1,” said Leclerc. “And to be able to have all the same car, you will have to choose, obviously, which route you want to go to, what downforce, what horsepower and everything.
“But it’s definitely possible. And I would love to represent Monaco. I’m very proud of being from Monaco. We are very few Monegasques. And it feels good to be representing such a small but beautiful country. So I would love to. But I don’t know if there are any plans of that any time soon.”
Turning to this F1 season, Leclerc also talked about Ferrari’s recent struggles and the potential for a bounceback at Red Bull Ring. The Ferrari driver indicated that he was “confident” that Ferrari would be back in the fight this weekend.
“I feel like the potential is in the car. We just need to [optimize] our package and then we’ll be back to where we want. We didn’t do that in Montréal, especially with [tires] and the conditions were a bit outside of our operating window,” said Leclerc. “And then in Barcelona, we were just not fast enough. Again, the preparation on the simulator for this track went well.
“So I feel confident we’ll be back in the fight.”
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