March 28, 2021, Sakhir, Bahrain: CHARLES LECLERC of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari on the starting grid before the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Credit Image: © James Gasperotti/ZUMA Wire)
Ferrari hand Charles Leclerc a very special gift
Charles Leclerc was the recipient of a one-of-a-kind gift from Ferrari – the SF90 in which he won his first race back in 2019.
March 28, 2021, Sakhir, Bahrain: CHARLES LECLERC of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari on the starting grid before the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Credit Image: © James Gasperotti/ZUMA Wire)
Charles Leclerc was the recipient of a one-of-a-kind gift from Ferrari – the SF90 in which he won his first race back in 2019.
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Leclerc will have very fond memories of the SF90 having won back-to-back races with it at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix and, more notably, Ferrari’s home race at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix.
He was the first Ferrari winner at Monza since Fernando Alonso in 2010 and the victory helped take him further into the hearts of the Tifosi faithful.
On Friday, Charles Leclerc teased on Instagram that he had just received “something special” from the Scuderia.
And he later revealed the “something special” was the SF90 itself.
On his memorable Monza victory, Leclerc said it gave him “the chills” when he passed the chequered flag in P1.
“It’s very difficult to find the words to describe what I felt during this race [at Monza],” Charles Leclerc told Autosport.
“I had a lot of pressure – the whole team had a lot of pressure – because obviously we were in Italy, Ferrari is huge in Italy, and everyone wanted us to win so there was big pressure around the whole team.
“The week started from the Monday, which is quite different from the other grands prix because normally as drivers we start on the Thursday, but we started on the Monday with some events in Milan and things like this.
“So the pressure was building up. Then doing the pole was something special already, but then I had to focus on the race and in the race I had no space to breathe. I had Lewis all the race at less than two seconds, I think, so a lot of pressure.
“And then to be on the podium, to finally have won the race, and to see the red army under the podium was something extremely special.
“It gave me chills and made me realise what it is like to be a Ferrari driver, which of course I realised a little bit before, but I think you really realise it once you win in Monza and see the passion [that] you can really see in the eyes of the people – the passion that they have for the brand.
“It’s unbelievable to see,” Charles Leclerc added.
Ferrari gifting their drivers a Formula One car is nothing new.
In 2020, Kimi Raikkonen received the SF71H he won the 2018 United States Grand Prix in.
