Know the man
Know the man
As a very precocious three and a half-year-old, he climbed into a kart and never climbed out. He has gone full speed from the kart championships, moving up in the ranks, to making his debut, in 2018, in Formula 1 with the Alfa Romeo Sauber Team and, in 2019, realising his childhood dream: becoming an official driver of the Scuderia Ferrari in order to fight to win the F1 championship with the Prancing Horse.
Since then, thanks partly to winning on legendary circuits like Monza and Monte Carlo, he has been making the Red Team’s fans dream. And not only them.
When Charles uttered this sentence, he was only three years old and had just driven his first kart on the track managed by Jules Bianchi’s father. Ten years later, it was Jules, who had become his close friend, who convinced Nicolas Todt to watch Charles’ last race to see what he was made of.
He saw it, and how: Charles knew that his future depended on the Monaco Kart Cup KF3. Despite an engine problem that forced him to start last, he used his skills in the wet and had an incredible comeback victory. A few days later, in Geneva, he arrived in a suit and tie to sign his first contract with Nicolas Todt: “He told me that no driver had ever shown up dressed like that”.
Despite the predictable initial hurdles of getting used to the new cars, he finished the championship in second place and was named best rookie. He continued going strong throughout the season that followed, and when it was over, he was chosen by the Ferrari Driver Academy. From then on, he has had the opportunity to drive in the best GP3 and Formula 2 teams, winning the title in both categories.
After chasing this dream all his life, Charles finally joined Ferrari in 2019. Thanks to the excellent results achieved in his debut F1 season with Sauber, with impressive speeds and consistency, he was called to Maranello to work alongside Sebastian Vettel.
At only 21 years old, he became the second youngest driver in the team’s history. Despite his age, he met the expectations and, thanks to memorable victories – the two at the Italian GP in Monza (2019 & 2024) and his home GP in Monte Carlo (2024) – he captured the hearts of millions of fans who saw the future of Ferrari in him.
It’s one thing to race in Formula 1. It’s another to race for Ferrari. Driving “la Rossa” means being part of a myth, part of a history that reaches far beyond the world of racing. It’s something that the fans really take to heart. Charles is aware of this: “It is certainly a great honour but also a huge responsibility: Ferrari is Ferrari for a reason.
There’s more pressure than in other teams, but for me it’s not a problem. It’s a positive pressure that stimulates you to do well”.
Charles knows that every time he gets into the car, millions of fans get into the cockpit with him along with their great expectations and that dream of theirs. The same one that Charles has: “It’s my lifelong dream: to become the World Champion with Ferrari”.
Even as a child, Charles understood that even a great talent like his was not enough on its own to make him a top driver: it takes years of preparation, both physical and mental, and constant attention to every detail before, during and after every race.
Charles endures G-force, heat, and mental strain, training body and mind to excel at high speeds.
In F1, every detail counts. Charles meticulously prepares every aspect for peak race performance.
Before going down onto the track, Charles studies strategies, defines his pace, and gets ready for the start of the race.
Charles trains intensely during the off-season, balancing demanding workouts with time for his loved ones.
