F1 champion's wife jumps in to defend under-fire Ferrari star Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Australia, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 champion's wife jumps in in to defend under-fire Ferrari star

Button's wife backs Leclerc

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Tuesday 22 September 2026 22:27

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Charles Leclerc has come under fire for being... well, a family man this week, but support from an unexpected source has launched a defence of the Ferrari star.

The 28-year-old's crime was bringing his family to an F1 race on a regular basis, that being his wife Alexandra, and by connection his child to be, as well as their lovely little pooch Leo.

Not everyone is completely happy with that arrangement though, notably former F1 star turned broadcaster/analyst David Coulthard.

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The ex-Red Bull, McLaren and Williams driver won 13 races in a career that spanned between 1994 and 2008 and saw him finish as runner-up in the 2001 season.

Coulthard though, while complimentary of Leclerc's stature inside F1, questioned on whether he should be making the seriousness of grand prix weekends like a family outing.

Coulthard tells Leclerc: 'It's a grand prix not a picnic'

The 55-year-old said on the Up to Speed podcast: "You’ve got Charles Leclerc, who has been there for several years and is blindingly fast, a poster boy for a racing driver.

“Good-looking and he’s got all the family man, baby on the way, dog in the paddock… my opinion is that’s all a bit too much, quite frankly. It’s not a weekend away picnic, is it?

“It’s a grand prix, it’s a serious business, it’s a dangerous business, but that’s probably me being of an older generation.”

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Brittny Button backs Ferrari star

If you had to guess who would come to defend Leclerc, you might have started with wife Alexandra, possibly his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, maybe even Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur. Hey, even one of the other drivers that bring their girlfriend or wives to races on a regular occurrence.

Instead, it was the wife of an F1 champion, one who retired 10 years ago and never even raced against Leclerc.

F1 2009 world champion Jenson Button is married to Brittny Button

Brittny Button married 2009 champion Jenson Button in Florida in 2022 and has voiced her support of Leclerc's stance with a post on Instagram.

The American, born in California, and has two children with Button, said: "As an ex wag, I'm happy to see that Formula 1 is embracing the drivers partners/families more.

"The paddock was not a very welcoming place for women for so long, in my opinion this is a great and positive change."

How long have Charles Leclerc and Alexandra Saint Mleux been together?

Leclerc met his wife at Paris Fashion Week in early 2023, with Alexandra then attending that year's Monaco Grand Prix to make it official.

After announcing his engagement in November last year, Leclerc then married Alexandra ahead of the start of the F1 season in a small ceremony in Monaco.

Although reports of Alexandra now being pregnant have not been announced by the pair, she dropped heavy hints on Instagram to confirm in August.

With no official announcement, it is not known when the baby is due but it is likely to arrive by the end of the year.