Charles Leclerc has established himself as one of the very best Formula 1 drivers on the grid. He's perhaps the quickest over one lap and is not afraid to go wheel-to-wheel with the likes of Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton. But did you know why he used the #16 or which famous face acts as his manager? Here are five things you might not have known about Charles Leclerc...
Leclerc likes to play Fortnite
It seems that every Formula 1 driver is also a part-time gamer, and Charles Leclerc is no exception either. In his spare time, Leclerc doesn't mind firing up his PlayStation and playing Fortnite, and is rather handy as well. During the first COVID-19 lockdown, the Monegasque even started live streaming over Twitch, and has now amassed 850,000 followers. Only Lando Norris has more - the Briton currently enjoying 1.3 million subscribers.
Charles drives #16 for a reason
Like most drivers, Leclerc drives with a race number that has a story behind it. He drove his entire career with race number #7 before he entered Formula 1, with it being his favourite number because it is the sum of adding the numbers of his birth-date together: October 16 (1+6). However, both #7 and #77 were taken by Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas when he entered Formula 1. Third choice was number #10, but Pierre Gasly already had it, therefore Leclerc went for #16 - the day he was born.
Leclerc's godfather was Jules Bianchi
Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi, who died in 2015, was a close friend and also the godfather of Leclerc - eight years his junior. Bianchi - who succumbed to injuries sustained in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix in July 2015 - helped Leclerc during his first races in go-karts, and even stood in as his engineer on occasion.
He has a special manager
For years, the affairs of Leclerc have been managed by Nicolas Todt - who also has looked after the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado in the past. If that surname seems familiar - that's because it is! Todt is the son of former Ferrari chief and FIA President Jean Todt - who served as head of F1's governing body from 2009 to 2021.
Verstappen was a great rival from an early age
It was not only in Formula 1 that the two raced against each other. Back in their karting days, Verstappen and Leclerc were rivals, with the Dutchman claiming a 2013 karting title by beating the Monegasque into second place. Although the Verstappen/Leclerc rivalry is far more cordial than the Verstappen/Lewis Hamilton one, the two have had their moments.
Most read
