Coulthard: Charles Leclerc should stop treating F1 weekends like a family picnic

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has questioned whether Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc approaches Grand Prix weekends with sufficient seriousness, arguing that his paddock entourage may be proving a distraction.

Coulthard raised concerns regarding the regular presence of Leclerc’s wife, Alexandra Saint Mleux, and his pet dog, Leo, at multiple race weekends this season. Leclerc married Saint Mleux in February, and the couple is currently expecting their first child.

Paddock Entourage Under Scrutiny

Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Coulthard suggested that Leclerc should focus more on his driving and less on cultivating a public image.

“You’ve got Charles Leclerc, who has been there for several years and is blindingly fast, a poster boy for a racing driver,” Coulthard stated. “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.”

While several competitors regularly bring partners or family—such as George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz, championship leader Kimi Antonelli, and Max Verstappen—and Leclerc's close friend Pierre Gasly occasionally brings his dog, Coulthard believes the dynamic around the Ferrari driver has become excessive.

Form and Teammate Comparison

Leclerc’s campaign has yielded one race victory and four podiums, but has also been compromised by costly errors in Barcelona, Monaco, and Italy. Following events like the upgraded engine recovery after his Monza crash, Leclerc sits fifth in the Drivers' Championship, trailing teammate Lewis Hamilton by 24 points.

Coulthard noted that the 28-year-old Leclerc should not be losing out to Hamilton, who is 41, considering the Monegasque driver is in his theoretical prime.

Although the Ferrari duo are locked level in qualifying trim (7-7) and in races where both have finished (5-5), the intra-team battle represents a significant shift from last year, when Leclerc dominated the head-to-head. Currently sitting on 185 career starts, Leclerc is set to reach the 200 Grand Prix milestone next year. Across his career, he has claimed nine victories—surpassing the combined total of six achieved by his Ferrari teammates Sebastian Vettel, Sainz, and Hamilton.