Charles Leclerc has always had a passion for not just Formula 1, but also ice cream, describing it as his "guilty pleasure".
That resulted in the Ferrari driver launching his own brand - LEC- in April this year, with five flavours, the creation of Italian experts Federico Grom and Guido Martinetti. Nicolas Todt, son of former FIA president Jean Todt, is also an investor.
At the time, Leclerc described it as "a new adventure for me, to do something that I have always loved, and that I'm super passionate about. Ice cream has been a big part of my life until now, and I'm really proud of this idea."
Just two months later, Leclerc is now rolling out his creams in the UK. Its USP is that it is a 'healthy' ice cream compared to many of its rivals.
The five flavours – Vanillove, Chocolate Crunch, Pistachi-oh!, Peanut Caramel Tango, and Salty Carammmel - come in 460ml tubs, each less than 399 calories, almost 70% less in fat than other leading brands, and without artificial sweeteners.
"Not only me as an athlete is counting calories," said Leclerc. "Feeling guilty, eating an ice cream is something much more common than we thought." So LEC was born.
Grom said: "As a top-tier athlete, Charles' lifestyle revolves around discipline, wellness, and balance. But his love for ice cream - his ultimate indulgence - often meant choosing between taste and his ambition. That conflict sparked a bold mission: reinvent ice cream so you don’t have to choose anymore.
"It took a lot of time, energy, and passion to capture that particular flavour of uniqueness until, one day, LEC was born.
"The wonder of LEC lies in striking the perfect balance between the absolute enjoyment of ice cream and the need (or will) to make thoughtful food choices. It’s all about combining the irresistible taste of your favourite delight with the lightness of a reduced-calorie recipe."
In the UK, the ice cream is initially being made available via grocery delivery service GoPuff, with each tub priced at £5.60.
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they discuss last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix! Max Verstappen's clash with George Russell is a major talking point this week, as is whether Lewis Hamilton has started to contemplate if he is still quick enough.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!