love ★ f1

arthur & charles

charles leclerc

growing up in monaco, i was always surrounded by speed, competition, and dreams of racing. my brothers and i spent our childhood in karts, chasing the thrill of victory. my family sacrificed so much for my career, especially after losing jules, who was like an older brother and mentor. that loss changed everything for me. it made me realize how fragile life is and how every moment counts. from that moment on, racing became my escape, my way of coping, and my focus sharpened even more.

in the world of formula 1, people often assume that success means you have everything figured out – the fame, the money, the attention. and with that attention comes pressure, especially when it comes to relationships. people are quick to judge, quick to assume that anyone who's close to you must be after something. for a long time, i didn't care much about relationships. i kept my distance, thinking i was better off focusing on racing. that changed when i met juliette.

juliette was everything i never knew i needed. we met by chance at an event in monaco. she wasn't involved in motorsport at all – she was studying medicine, driven by her passion to help others. what struck me about her was how down-to-earth she was. she didn't care about fame or the glitz of monaco; she cared about real things, like her family, her studies, and making a difference in people's lives. being with her was different – it felt like a breath of fresh air away from the chaos of racing. she didn't treat me like "charles leclerc, the driver." with her, i was just charles.

as time passed, our connection deepened. she was my support through tough races, always reminding me that life was bigger than just racing. for the first time, i allowed myself to imagine a future that wasn't only about formula 1 – a future where love played a big part. we talked about everything – our dreams, our fears, the places we wanted to visit together. she made me realize that maybe love wasn't something to avoid, but something that could make life richer.

but life can be cruel. shortly after we started planning a future together, she began feeling unwell. at first, we thought it was nothing serious – just fatigue from her busy schedule. but as weeks went by, her symptoms got worse. she was eventually diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease, something the doctors couldn't even fully explain. the prognosis was devastating. there was no cure, just treatments to manage the symptoms, but the outlook was grim.

watching her go through that was the hardest thing i've ever faced. i felt powerless, knowing that there was nothing i could do to save her. all the success, all the fame – none of it mattered when faced with something so brutally out of our control. we tried to stay positive, tried to keep living our lives as normally as possible, but the reality was always there, looming over us.

we spent her last months together, making the most of every moment. we traveled, even if it meant cutting races close, and i took time off whenever i could. i didn't care about the consequences. racing felt meaningless compared to being by her side. she was so strong through it all, always putting on a brave face even when i could see the pain in her eyes. she made me promise to keep chasing my dreams no matter what happened.

when she passed away, it shattered me. it felt like i lost not just her, but a part of myself. i threw myself back into racing, using it as a way to cope, but something had changed in me. love, once a source of joy, now felt like a source of pain. i started to distance myself again, not wanting to go through the heartache of losing someone like that ever again. it's not that i'm against love – i just don't think i have it in me anymore to open up like that, to be that vulnerable. i've got too much to focus on in my career, and i'm not ready to risk that kind of pain again.

arthur leclerc

being the youngest in the family, i've always had big shoes to fill. charles set the bar high, and there's always that pressure to follow in his footsteps. but instead of feeling weighed down by it, i see it as motivation. we're close, my brothers and i, and we push each other to be better every day. i look up to charles, not just as a driver, but as someone who knows exactly what he wants and doesn't let anything distract him. i admire that focus.

i'm still young, trying to find my own way in motorsport, and to be honest, love isn't really on my radar. some of my friends are already getting into serious relationships, but i don't feel like i'm missing out. for me, the idea of love is a bit overwhelming. i see how complicated it can be, how people can get hurt, and i'm just not ready for all that. i've got enough to deal with – training, racing, and constantly trying to improve myself.

there was this one girl i met at an event last year. she was fun, super supportive, and we had a good connection. we hung out a few times, but it never went beyond that. i think she expected more, maybe even a relationship, but i was clear from the start – i wasn't looking for anything serious. it's not that i don't care about people, it's just that i know where my priorities lie. racing is my focus right now, and adding the complications of a relationship would just be too much.

some people say you can balance both – a career and love – but i'm not convinced. i've seen how much time and effort relationships take, and i don't want to divide my attention. maybe in the future, when i'm more settled in my career, i'll think about it differently. but for now, i'd rather avoid the drama and keep things simple. i know what i want – to make it in formula 1 – and that's where my energy needs to go.

so yeah, when people ask me about love or relationships, i just shrug it off. i'm not in a rush, and i don't feel pressured to dive into anything just because others are. i'm young, and there's plenty of time for all that later. for now, i'm focused on getting faster, getting stronger, and building a name for myself in the sport. everything else can wait.