The video keeps going. The commentary is in French; it's frantic, but Max can't understand it. They play a radio message, in English: Are you okay? Charles, are you okay? There's only choppy, pained breathing. A cough that sounds horrible. Then nothing.
max/charles. it’s 2017 and max finds out why he stopped hearing about charles leclerc. part two of ??? (part one here)
*warning: graphic-ish description of charles' crash.
He finds the video on Reddit.
r/formula1 2 yr. ago
Does anybody have the vid of that Leclerc kid crashing in F3 Euro?
user456783 • 2 yr. ago
here's a link. this one made my stomach turn. he was awake when they took him out, don't know if that's a good thing tho.
redflag5 • 2 yr. ago
woof, i don't know if i'd recommend watching that.
ferrariferrari22 • 2 yr. ago
kid was incredible karting. hope this isn't career ending. scary to watch
Max, who saw Jules hit that crane the same year, clicks the link.
It's bad.
It's Germany. Charles hits debris from another crash as he's climbing the hill; the car goes flying, flips twice, and lands horizontal across the track. Another car is coming, can't see him until it's too late; they drive head-on right into his sidepod.
The car snaps in two. The front half hits the wall. For a moment, everything goes still.
The video keeps going. The commentary is in French; it's frantic, but Max can't understand it. They play a radio message, in English: Are you okay? Charles, are you okay? There's only choppy, pained breathing. A cough that sounds horrible. Then nothing.
Marshals rush onto the track. An ambulance comes. Charles is trying to pull himself out; paramedics are frantically waving for him to stop. Max wants to scream. Get him out. His heart is hammering. He knows what happens, but he needs to see – needs to know that Charles hasn't been cut in half.
He remembers that Charles's mum was always at home with his brothers during race weekends. He wonders if she had to watch this.
They bring a stretcher up to the car. Finally, finally, two paramedics lift him up. Max imagines Charles screaming as his shattered leg was pulled out of the crunched metal.
When they get him out, Max can't help where his eyes go. Charles's right leg is twisted in a sickening angle. He slams his laptop shut.
&&&
Max breathes for a moment, then opens his laptop back up and goes back to Google. There's an interview with Charles on the F1 website. He wants to hear it from Charles. Say you're okay. I didn't even know I might never have seen you again. Say you're okay.
He clicks in.
Setup for a comeback: Karting champion Charles Leclerc returns to F3 3 years from tragic accident
Charles Leclerc was a winner just about everywhere in karting, and ran a successful Formula Renault campaign. A few races into what was supposed to launch a star career, a crash at the Nurburgring in 2015 ended his time in the Formula 3 European Championship – and threatened to end his racing journey altogether. In a surprise announcement Tuesday, Prema Racing announced they would sign Leclerc to make a GP3 run in 2017. Find Laura Winter's full interview with the 19-year-old below, where they talked about his recovery and how he battled back into a race car.
LW: Charles, we're sitting at Magello right now. Tell me how we got here.
CL: Oh, wow. (laughs) It's a very long story isn't it? I don't know where to start. I had nine surgeries on my right leg after my crash. I had to get in all these screws and plates and, um– they call it, I think, reconstruction? Then I had an infection and all of this. It took me four months to walk on it for the first time. Then probably a year of therapy to be able to walk normally how I could before. It's crazy how it happens, people probably don't know. Your muscles atrophy and then you have to learn again how to— um, how to put your foot and things when you walk and not to only step on the good side, things like this. It was hard.
LW: You shared a lot of your journey. It was emotional.
CL: Yes. (laughs) Maybe a bit too much, but I was very, very bored. It was good to talk to some people, even if it was through the phone. Anyway – I missed two seasons of driving, but my manager and sponsors were still in touch. I did some local karting this year to test it out. I think still I have the skill. So Prema offered me an opportunity – I have never been so grateful for anything. I did a few testing days in the F3 car, and they offered the seat to me.
LW: What was the first day in the car like?
CL: I was in tears. The first day in the kart was really special. Just to drive at all. I was a very bad patient sometimes during my recovery. Always I'm having to be reminded I need to rest if I want the fractures to heal properly and this. It felt very special to know that it felt okay, that I could drive and not be hurting, I knew it all paid off. Then to get in that F3 car – wow. It was really emotional. Even more.
LW: Did you always know you could do it?
CL: I always said I will drive again. If you saw my x-rays, maybe you would say, no way. But the best drivers do not give up. I always remembered that. Growing up, you know, sometimes you crash in karting, whatever. My dad always told me, Charles, keep going. You have to believe you can win, even if yesterday you crash, even if you start from P20, whatever. So I always believed.
LW: It's a remarkable story, Charles. Really. We are so excited to see what you can do. Now that you're back, how long do you think we'll be hearing about Charles Leclerc?
CL: (laughs) Oh, wow. Well. I really hope I will go all the way to F1. And then I hope to be world champion. I am behind schedule, but that doesn't mean I can't catch up.
LW: You used to race Max Verstappen, correct? And some others?
CL: Yes! Pierre, Estaban. And a lot of people who are in F2 this year – Nicholas, Alex Albon.
LW: And you beat them!
CL: Yes. Even Max. (laughs) So I think, one day, I will join them, I hope.
LW: I've heard driver's academy rumors.
CL: It's too soon to speak about these things. I'll get on track first. Then we will see.
LW: You got this far. The rest is going to be easy.
The mention, the reminder that Charles remembers who he is, too – which rationally, he knows, because Charles watches F1 – makes his heart, so stupidly, skip a beat. There's a carousel of photos of Charles and his Prema car. Max wants to stare at them. He feels like he's turning fucking fifteen again.
He closes the window, feeling, at least, like he's caught up to the present. There's only one F1 race that coincides with F3 this year, but maybe they'll see each other. Maybe he can say hi. It makes no sense that it feels so urgent all of a sudden.
It's 3 a.m., and he needs to sleep, so he tries to make himself forget. But once he puts his laptop away, his phone screen lights up.
There's an Instagram notification. charles_leclerc has followed you.
He follows back, tells himself it's a coincidence, and can't stay awake long enough to think on it further.
&&&
By the morning, Max has nearly forgotten the notification.
When he goes to check the time, there's a DM from Charles.
