Charles Leclerc on Why Stepping Away From Racing Helps F1 Charge and "Incredible Dog" Leo [Exclusive]

Leclerc was in Italy to demonstrate his new Se!ze strategy game ahead of Ferrari's home F1 race.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Pre-season testing, Bahrain | Scuderia Ferrari

Formula 1 rolls into Monza this weekend for the Italian Grand Prix and the beginning of a demanding string of races through to the end of the season.

This forms a double-header with the new Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring, before three triple-headers complete the season in October, November, and December.

With the calendar expanding to a record 24 events in recent years, downtime is more important than ever for drivers. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc explained as much when speaking to Grand Prix on SI ahead of his Se!ze showdown with Chess Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.

"I think balance is everything in life and for any person that wants to be performing at the highest level in anything they do, there is usually a huge amount of work and dedication to that one thing," said Leclerc.

"But you also need those times where you are disconnecting and think about other things."

Leclerc has famously released piano arrangements, highlighting a passion away from the racetrack, yet the step into designing a strategy game harnesses a deep family connection for the Monegasque.

Scuderia Ferrari

"I started playing Chess when I was six or seven years old with my grandfather and it has always stayed with me and with the family also. It was always a game where time goes by so quickly, but at the same time you have to be actively thinking multiple steps ahead, which has some similarities with racing in some ways.

"It is just a really cool game in which you can also have very interesting conversations, and there are not many games or sports you can do while having interesting conversations. For me, it is important to disconnect from racing sometimes and think about other things."

While Leclerc's on-track activities gather plenty of attention from F1 fans, the addition of his dog Leo to his traveling support network has seen social media numbers skyrocket.

leo didn’t want a picture of that moment but @antoinetruchet did it anyway, alex laughed at me for running into the window playing my life at padel, leo saw a horse and didn’t really know what to think of it, we raced in karting and I won.
first victory of 2026 🎉 pic.twitter.com/o70M4XXoYN

— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) April 23, 2026

"Leo has definitely taken the spotlight. I remember getting out of the track at Silverstone, there was a big crowd going out of the track, and I was in the back of the car, waving to the fans, and there was a nice cheer.

"Leo heard the cheers and his head... I mean, he looked outside, and the cheer went from two-out-of-ten to ten-out-of-ten. The cheer was like triple the one for me."

"So I felt a little jealous! But at the same time, he deserves that. He is an incredible dog, and he definitely changed our life for the better, and we are so lucky to have him."