Breaking news
Formula 1
Leclerc: Bianchi deserved Ferrari seat more than me
Charles Leclerc says close friend Jules Bianchi probably deserved a Ferrari Formula 1 race seat more than him – and would have delivered better results than he has so far.
Jonathan Noble
Published: Apr 26, 2020, 8:15 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Last week, Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo listed Bianchi as one of his most underrated rivals, and suggested that the Frenchman would have been as big a star at Ferrari as Leclerc has become, were it not for his death as the result of injuries sustained in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
“It's another part of what makes his story so sad, because [Bianchi] would have been in a top team and a race winner by now for sure," Ricciardo wrote.
"In some ways, I feel Charles is doing now what Jules would have been doing. It's like Charles is the delayed version of what Jules would have done with the success he's having."
Leclerc and Bianchi were very close friends. Bianchi was Leclerc's godfather and served as his racing mentor, with the pair also both managed by Nicolas Todt.
Asked about Ricciardo’s comments, Leclerc agreed that Bianchi would have had a stellar career at Ferrari.
“Jules had shown what he had to show in F1, and there was definitely a lot more to come,” said Leclerc. “But I think results like [scoring points] in Monaco, when he was in Marussia, were telling a lot about his talent.
“So he definitely deserved the F1 seat, the Ferrari seat, probably even more than I did. But [fate] decided something other for him unfortunately. But I'm pretty sure he would have shown probably even more than what I do and yeah, he was extremely talented.”
Leclerc said that it had been noticeable throughout their careers, with their fathers good friends, how similar their rise to the top had been.
“I think our fathers, the father of Jules and my father, always joked that we had a very similar career,” he said. “And strangely also when he [Bianchi] was racing and I was racing, if he had a very bad race that weekend, the same weekend, I will have a very bad race too.
“They were always joking with this, and I think with our careers, obviously they are quite similar because also with Nicolas, my manager.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Renowned former F1 designer Divila dies aged 74
Next article The hits and misses among Red Bull's 85 F1 proteges
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc blames Mexico GP clash on track layout - Fred Vasseur disagrees
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Charles Leclerc blames Mexico GP clash on track layout - Fred Vasseur disagrees
Lewis Hamilton slams Charles Leclerc for "do or die" attitude after Mexico GP clash
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Lewis Hamilton slams Charles Leclerc for "do or die" attitude after Mexico GP clash
More from
Ferrari
How Mercedes can win F1’s world constructors’ title at Brazil GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
How Mercedes can win F1’s world constructors’ title at Brazil GP
Latest news
Max Verstappen jokes about key difference with Kimi Antonelli at 20: “He speaks Italian!”
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
9 min
Max Verstappen jokes about key difference with Kimi Antonelli at 20: “He speaks Italian!”
Kimi Antonelli almost had to retire in Mexico due to an oil leak
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
47 min
Kimi Antonelli almost had to retire in Mexico due to an oil leak
How Mercedes can win F1’s world constructors’ title at Brazil GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
How Mercedes can win F1’s world constructors’ title at Brazil GP
1980 F1 world champion Alan Jones dies aged 80
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 2 h
1980 F1 world champion Alan Jones dies aged 80
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe