Photo of Michael Schumacher and Charles Leclerc goes viral after Japanese GP Milestone

Michael Schumacher, alongside Ayrton Senna, was among Leclerc's racing heroes. He had the chance to meet Schumacher when he was still a child.

“One day when I was karting, Michael Schumacher was doing some F1 test,” he said in a new biography about him called Le Prodige.

“It was a really special moment."

More News: FIA, Engine Suppliers to meet at the Bahrain GP for the Return of V10 Engines

“I remember entering the paddock and we had the chance to meet him, it was very exciting. Fortunately there was not a lot of people, so he took some time to talk to us."

“He signed our suits, talked with us before going back to his garage. It was really sweet and I was very impressed.

“I don’t even remember what we were talking about because all I could focus on was his red suit. I never thought I would one day drive for the red team.”

From an early age, Leclerc demonstrated that he was a remarkable driver, winning the F3 and F2 titles in consecutive seasons before making his F1 debut with Sauber.

After an impressive rookie season, he joined Ferrari next to Sebastian Vettel.

After 150 races, he has achieved significant success, winning eight Grand Prix events throughout his career, earning 43 podium finishes, and accumulating a total of 1450 points.

In 2022, Leclerc challenged for the title, but a series of mistakes from him and the team resulted in a disappointing runner-up finish.

More News: Winners and Losers from Revealing Japanese Grand Prix

At the relatively young age of 27, he has racked up race wins at Spa, Monza, and Sakhir, among others.

Both of his race wins at Monza are likely his most special, as being a winning Ferrari driver and achieving victory in Italy is a noteworthy occasion.

His keystone win, however, came last year when he captured his home race victory in Monaco for the first time in his career.

More News: Lando Norris says McLaren Are the Only Team with "Two Good Drivers"

Leclerc had previously come close several times, only to face unfortunate circumstances and self-inflicted mistakes.

As a driver, he has garnered a reputation as one of the fastest in F1 history over the course of a single lap, regularly managing to put together special laps that consistently outperform the expectations of the machinery he is driving.

Over his career, he has secured 26 pole positions and qualified in the front row 38 times.

For more F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.