2015 CIK-FIA Best-Of: Charles Leclerc, launched into orbit thanks to karting

Discovered at the age of 11 with a French Championship in Cadet, Charles Leclerc then experienced a prolific international career in karting. He finished his first season in KF-Junior with a superb victory on his 13th birthday. There were successive coronations in the following season. The Monegasque Driver triumphed in the World Cup for KF-Junior, and also in the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy. « This remains an excellent memory, » said Charles. « For a Driver, it’s a very rewarding Competition. We all have the same equipment, with identical chassis and engines randomly assigned. It is up to the Driver to make the difference. The settings are quite limited, so everything is decided on the track. For a young person, it is an excellent training for a very interesting cost. » In 2011, Charles Leclerc was the second driver to enter his name in the history of the Academy Trophy.

Vice-World Champion behind Verstappen

The podiums kept on coming in KF and KZ. « Although KF-Junior offers very full grids and endless duels in the pack, with all the difficulties this creates, the standard is even higher in the senior classes. There is nothing better to forge a strong mind and develop race strategies. I learned lots of things of which I use today in cars. After the title of Vice-European Champion and Vice-World KF and U18 Champion in 2012, my last season in KZ in 2013 was even more instructive. Physical preparation proved essential, as did deep analysis of the data acquisition. We find ourselves faced with drivers who have an incredible experience, as Marco Ardigo, Ben Hanley and Davide Fore! This forces one to give the maximum to beat them.« 

It is rare for a young driver to fight regularly for the podium in his first year in KZ. Charles Leclerc managed to finish 2nd in the World Championship at the age of 15, just behind Max Verstappen.

At the top of the hierarchy in FIA F3

In addition, Karting enabled him to be noticed early. « My meeting with Nicolas Todt and the All Road Management company remains a highlight of my career. We were able to build a career plan together. I started in single-seaters in 2014, in Formula Renault 2.0. The results were quite good, so it was decided to move to the FIA European Formula 3 Championship which uses a technically very sophisticated car, with a lot of aero. Each meeting provides an important outing against top level drivers.« 

Talented, determined and persistent, Charles Leclerc is ready to face many other challenges …

(Extract from CIK-FIA 2015 Best-of)

Info CIK-FIA / © Photo KSP