Drive to Thrive: Charles Leclerc Talks Race Rituals, Musical Motivations, and Fond Farewells
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When Charles Leclerc gets behind the wheel of his turbocharged V6 racing red Ferrari F1 car, the only thing on his mind is just how quickly he can sprint to the finish line — and who he needs to fend off to take the checkered flag. But for the 26-year-old Formula 1 superstar, the mental preparation and focus begins long before the lights go out on the starting grid.
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That’s the inspiration behind Leclerc’s new partnership with CELSIUS, with the driver serving as an official “Team CELSIUS” brand partner. Announced today, the signing comes on the heels of CELSIUS’ multi-year global partnership with Scuderia Ferrari, with the energy drink brand hailing Leclerc as someone who “embodies the spirit of performance and excellence that CELSIUS champions.” As part of the new partnership, Leclerc will star in marketing campaigns for the brand, both at retail and on social media, while also making occasional event appearances and participating in “interactive consumer experiences,” per a release.
Leclerc calls it a “natural” partnership, adding that he’s been a fan of the CELSIUS drinks since they first partnered with Ferrari (their “cosmic vibe” flavor is a favorite). “I’m super excited to represent a brand that actually helps me to achieve maximum performance,” he tells Rolling Stone. “Obviously, time is very limited in my sport, and whenever I’m getting into the car, I need to be fully ready and fully focused straight away. Celsius couldn’t fit better with my lifestyle and also the professional part of my life with Formula 1.”
LECLERC APPROVED
CELSIUS Sparkling Cosmic Vibe, Functional Essential Energy Drink
$22.98
The CELSIUS ingredient list includes a staple mix of caffeine, green tea extract, vitamins and minerals, and Leclerc says the energy drinks also fit into his pre-race routine, which has been similar unchanged for years. “It’s super important for me to always do exactly the same things over and over, just to make sure that my state of mind is always the same whenever I get into the car,” he says. “The grid is hectic,” he explains, “and there are so many people [there] and you are requested basically everywhere, and that’s only 10 or 15 minutes before you start the race. So it’s important to kind of have a routine.”
Leclerc’s pre-race routine starts about an hour and a half before a race, with the same meal each Sunday: plain chicken with rice. No hot sauce? “No no no,” Leclerc replies, chuckling: “That’s not what you want before getting into a Formula 1 car.”
The F1 star also makes sure to stay hydrated with plenty of water, and then: “Right before getting into the car, a CELSIUS to give me the proper boost for the race start.”
There is one aspect of Leclerc’s pre-race ritual that has changed recently. Until the beginning of this year, the driver never used to listen to music right before a race. He preferred to focus on his race plan in relative silence, giving himself the space to visualize the track and play out the team strategy in his head. He never wanted to feel “too pumped up” or “too relaxed,” and so he shied away from any audio stimulation.
But that all changed “four or five races ago,” though Leclerc can’t exactly pinpoint why. He suggests that maybe his state of mind shifted, and he needed a way to adapt to how he was feeling at the time. “It’s still quite new,” he confesses, “but now I actually like listening to music before getting into the car. It helps me to separate myself from this hectic grid, and to be a bit more in my zone and on my own.”
Leclerc’s relationship with music has shifted in other ways too. During the pandemic, the race car driver taught himself to play piano, and later surprised fans by releasing a couple of songs on Spotify. While he counts artists like Maneskin and The Kooks as pals, the aspiring musician says he prefers “cinematic music” when putting on a playlist; he’s similarly released only instrumental tracks for now.
Could we expect to hear a vocal release anytime soon? Leclerc says he’ll continue to upload new music online, though he’s quick to dispel any notion of putting his voice on a recording. “I’m not sure I’m a good singer,” he demurs. “And to actually release music singing, I think, takes even more bravery,” he offers, citing fellow driver Lewis Hamilton’s foray into music (“I’ve heard the songs that he’s doing and he’s great,” Leclerc says, supportingly).
As for his own music: “I feel like you really reveal yourself even more with your voice,” Leclerc says. “I’m happy to play piano [but] I’m not so sure I will be releasing my voice anytime soon.”
Though he’s amassed more than 220,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and millions of streams on his independently-released 2024 EP, Dreamers, Leclerc confesses that music is just a hobby for now, adding that he’s “a lot better on the racetrack than I am behind a piano.” Still, he admits it’s been the perfect way to disconnect from racing. “Whenever I’m not on the track,” he says, “music is what I love.”
As he approaches the end of another Formula 1 season, Leclerc is optimistic about Ferrari’s chances in the remaining races for the year. “Our target is to finish the season on a high,” he says. “In the last few races, we’ve been struggling a little bit more with the speed. However, we are working extremely hard as a team, and I think we are working also extremely well, which gives me the confidence that we can turn that situation around.”
This will also mark Leclerc’s last few months with teammate Carlos Sainz, who departs Scuderia Ferrari for Williams next year, while Hamilton joins the Ferrari HP fold. Leclerc says he’ll miss working with Sainz, who he credits with pushing him to be a better driver.
“We have a really good relationship outside the track and on the track as well,” Leclerc says. “I cannot complain about anything with Carlos — he’s a very fast driver, and I think this has been super useful for the whole team, including me, because whenever you have a very fast teammate, it pushes you to actually find something every time you get out on track. And we were pushing each other to perform better and better and better. And that’s exactly what you need in a Formula 1 team.”
Leclerc offers a friendly reminder that while Sainz will no longer be driving for Ferarri, he isn’t leaving the circuit anytime soon. “What I will miss most is probably seeing Carlos in person, but at the same time, I cannot really say that, because he will always be in the paddock and we will still always see each other every weekend or so,” he says. “We’ve had a perfect relationship [and] everything went really well. And I truly wish him the best. I hope that we can finish this season on a high, both for Ferrari and together with with Carlos — we all want that.”
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