Picture: Charles Leclerc and brother Arthur’s mother proudly looks on at F1 history makers in Abu Dhabi
Charles Leclerc and Arthur Leclerc's mother, Pascale Leclerc, was caputred smiling while watching her sons driving for Scuderia Ferrari in the FP1 session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The brothers scripted history by becoming the first ever sibling duo to drive in an official F1 session as teammates. Arthur, Ferrari's junior development driver, replaced Carlos Sainz for FP1, thus making his formal F1 practice debut at the age of 24.
The 24-year-old younger sibling of Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles is a product of the team's junior program. Having risen through the ranks from F3 to F2, Arthur earned his call-up as part of F1's mandatory requirement of fielding rookies in any of the first two FP sessions at the Abu Dhabi GP. He stepped into Sainz's shoes to take the SF-24 for a spin at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Charles Leclerc and Arthur Leclerc shook hands and exchanged a hug before leaving the garage to script F1 history. Meanwhile, as the two took a formation lap home, their mother, Pascale Leclerc, had a wide smile on her face. The entire Leclerc family was present in the Ferrari garage to witness the historic moment and also support the sibling duo. On the cooldown lap, Charles waved at Arthur, and the latter reciprocated with equal enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Charles topped the FP1 session with a 1:24.321 lap time whereas Arthur finished P18. The 24-year-old drove the entire session with an aero rake which allows Ferrari to measure the air flow.
On the other hand, Charles has received a 10-place grid penalty for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because Ferrari needed to replace his car's battery. This is his third replacement for the season, exceeding the permissable limit of two changes set by FIA. The Monegasque missed the initial 20 minutes of the FP1 session as engineers fixed the battery issue. He will now serve his penalty on Sunday.
Charles Leclerc's penalty likely to affect Ferrari's constructors' title hopes
Ferrari, chasing it's first constructors' title since 2008, is tasked with overturning a 21-point deficit to McLaren at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, Charles Leclerc's 10-place grid penalty has come as a huge blow for the Italian team. Leclerc, who beat McLaren's timings in the FP1 session at the Yas Marina Circuit, told media that the car has the pace to overperform.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris, who topped the FP2 session, highlighted balance as a minor issue. While he has faith in McLaren's pace, he is wary of the competition, stating others haven't turned up their engines yet. Oscar Piastri finished P2, a couple of tenths behind his teammate. Leclerc finished P6 in FP2 with a gap of seven tenths to Norris.