Le Mans ambition for Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc

Le Mans ambition for Leclerc

Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours experience fuels a longing to compete in the real-world edition

Sam Hall

Monday 15 June 2020 10:21

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc is keen to take on the Le Mans 24 Hours, his newfound passion for the event growing after competing in the virtual edition across the past weekend.

The first ever running of the Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours saw several faces familiar to the Formula 1 paddock competing.

Alongside Leclerc in his GTE class Ferrari 488 GTE sat Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi, while Lando Norris and Max Verstappen partnered at Team Redline in the LMP category.

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Pierre Gasly completed the representation of modern Formula 1 drivers, although numerous former drivers, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso included, also raced.

For Leclerc, the race was not an easy experience.

Expectations had been high, but server problems ruined his race, at one point causing the Monégasque to lose control of the car, causing heavy damage. Then, when able to rejoin the race from the pits, his car was seen to flip onto its roof with no explanation. Clearly, the impressive system still has a few kinks to work out.

I don't know if I should laugh or cry...
Finally managed to get back into the race, out of the pits and the car rolled on it's own pic.twitter.com/lKUfaffmj4
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) June 13, 2020

Leclerc, Giovinazzi and sim racers Enzo Bonito and David Tonizza brought the car home 18th in class, the category only consisting of 20 entries.

Despite this somewhat underwhelming result, Leclerc declared himself keen to try the event for real, tweeting, "The first 8/9 hours were very fun battling for positions. After the server problem, it was more about finishing the race and that's it but still fun.

"Now I just want to do the real Le Mans though."

Thanks for being with me during the whole 24 hours guys !!
The first 8/9 hours were very fun battling for positions. After the server problem, it was more about finishing the race and that's it but still fun.
Now I just want to do the real Le Mans though 😍
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) June 14, 2020

For Lando Norris, it was an all too familiar experience of technology letting him down, his car being retired from the race while leading overall.

Norris has been plagued by problems when competing online throughout the lockdown, most notably in the Virtual Grand Prix Series, where he only completed one event without problems out of a total of nine entered.

Norris tweeted: "Incredible... leading the race after 10 hours, and it ends just like that. Game bugs and it’s pretty much over. We’ll keep fighting and see what we can do... :( feelsbadman."

Incredible... leading the race after 10 hours, and it ends just like that. Game bugs and it’s pretty much over. We’ll keep fighting and see what we can do... :( feelsbadman
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) June 13, 2020

The postponed real-world Le Mans 24 Hours will take place on the weekend of 19-20 September this year.

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