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Charles Leclerc opened the door to potential driving for Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans at some point in the future.
In recent days, Ferrari has announced its return to the World Endurance Championship in 2023 for the first time in 50 years.
The new Le Mans Hypercar era of this series is due to begin this season with the 8 Hours of Portimao on April 4.
The jewel of endurance racing in the crown, of course, is the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which Ferrari won nine times until 1965, while one of their most recent F1 drivers, Fernando Alonso , won victory for Toyota in 2018 and 2019.
Leclerc has confirmed he would appreciate the opportunity to try to follow in Alonso’s footsteps – albeit in his case with Ferrari aiming to reignite their sports car halcyon days that arrived in the first half of the years. 1960.
“I love Le Mans! I have always been a big fan of the 24 Hours and if the opportunity presents itself to drive it, I would be delighted to take it, ”Leclerc told the Italian version of Motorsport.com.
“At the moment my main focus is Formula 1, but if the chance presents itself, why not?”
Get your hands on a Ferrari Checkered Flag T-Shirt made by Puma!
New year, new helmet 🔥
What do you think ? pic.twitter.com/aLJMgLyxAC– Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) February 27, 2021
In the meantime, Leclerc is preparing for his third campaign as a Ferrari F1 driver and says he has never “prepared better for a racing season” – despite contracting COVID-19 during the winter.
“Fortunately, it didn’t hit me aggressively,” said the 23-year-old. “I feel great, I did some physical tests immediately after the positive test to make sure I was back in my usual form and the result was positive.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so fit as I was on the eve of a season. We’ve also covered quite a few miles with the 2018 car and I definitely feel ready.
“I also worked on myself to understand what needs to be improved compared to last season, such as tire management. Last year I made progress in this regard, but I can still do better. “
Ferrari as a whole must learn from their poor 2020 campaign in which they finished a dismal sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, although they have a different dimension with Carlos Sainz replacing Sebastian Vettel in the roster.
“When you don’t start in the first places, the approach to the races is different,” added Leclerc.
“The direct opponents are not one or two teams but many more – many of us found ourselves in half a second.
“It often leads to more aggression on the track and in the end you learn from those situations as well.”
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