Former Formula 1 World Championship runner-up Charles Leclerc has reiterated his desire to one day line up on the starting grid for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Leclerc has been one of the sport’s leading names since joining Ferrari back in 2019, and he was present at last Friday’s annual FIA Awards Ceremony in Tashkent, where he applauded the recent exploits and achievements of the Prancing Horse in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
“Having won in FIA WEC and having so much success in a year like this is incredible,” mused the Monégasque star, whose younger brother, Arthur Leclerc (below), sampled Ferrari AF Corse’s 499P Hypercar during the Bahrain Rookie Test in 2024.
The scarlet and yellow prototypes have since gone on to conquer not only the world but also Le Mans – in the case of the latter, for a third consecutive year. When asked if he would be keen to tackle the legendary La Sarthe contest himself, the older Leclerc sibling was unequivocal.
“Definitely,” the eight-time grand prix-winner responded. “Now, I need to find a way to combine Formula 1 and Le Mans, because if I do something, I want to do it to try to win. For that, you need preparation because the level is super-high, but for sure, I would love to.”
Amongst those to take to the stage in Uzbekistan was Robert Kubica, whose super-human performance towards the end of the 93rd edition of Le Mans was one of the indisputable keys to the #83 AF Corse crew’s triumph back in June.
“It was challenging – there was a lot in play, especially over the last couple of hours,” the Pole acknowledged. “Le Mans is the biggest and toughest race for an endurance driver, but thanks to my team-mates, thanks to the team and thanks to Ferrari, we managed to win it.
“Four years ago, together with Yifei [Ye – 2025 team-mate], we led into the last lap in LMP2 and lost due to a technical failure, so one thing I learned is that it’s easier to be behind the wheel than watching your team-mate finish the race!
“It has been an amazing adventure. The last time [he was at the FIA gala] was 12 years ago. I would never have thought my journey in motorsport would continue – to get back into Formula 1 and now be happy in endurance racing like I am.”
World championship runners-up Kubica, Ye and Philip Hanson were presented with the spoils of their success alongside fellow Ferrari drivers Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina – who finished third in the standings in the #50 499P – and Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, who aboard the #51 entry, clinched the coveted Drivers’ crown.
The Manufacturers’ award was accepted by Antonello Coletta, in the presence of the Maranello-based marque’s Vice-Chairman, Piero Ferrari.
“I’m sure our founder, Enzo Ferrari, who loved endurance races, would be really proud of our result, which shows the value of our project and the unity of our team,” reflected the Global Head of Ferrari Endurance and Corse Clienti. “After 53 years [since winning the World Sportscar Championship], we are very happy that this trophy has come back to Italy.”
Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand via the official FIA WEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don’t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.
