Charles Leclerc has insisted that he can still “let himself go” while defending his position as one of the top three Formula One (F1) drivers in the world.
The Ferrari star, 27, said there was a “time for everything” amid the stringent and often gruelling routine of a top athlete.
It comes as he has been campaigning as the first global ambassador and face of Peroni Nastro Azzurro zero per cent beer ahead of the sport’s off-season.
The eight-time Grand Prix winner said of his lifestyle off the track: “Let’s say that you’ve got to be responsible and there’s a time for everything.
“It doesn’t mean that sometimes I don’t also let myself go, I do let myself go, but there’s time for everything and throughout the season it’s incredible to have a product that lets me have a really good time with my friends, but has zero alcohol in it.”
The Monégasque racing driver, who became the second-youngest pole-sitter (number one qualifying driver) in history in 2019, admitted he still “has a little bit of fun” on holidays, but added that a non-alcoholic alternative is more appropriate for his lifestyle.
The headier days of F1 were documented in Ron Howard’s feature film Rush, as well as the rivalry between the late Niki Lauda and British driver James Hunt.
Pressures of fame
Speaking about the pressures of fame that come with the sport, also popularised by the six seasons of Netflix’s docu-series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Leclerc admitted that his private life “is not so private anymore”.
He said: “I think you learn how to live with it, and now it’s part of my life.
“Obviously I would never exchange my life, I don’t regret any of the choices I’ve made… because at the end of the day, this comes with a lot of positive points.
“It also comes with the fact that maybe my private life is not so private anymore, or less private, but it comes with so many good things.”
