Style and the track: interview with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz

The Monza Grand Prix, which has just taken place, confirmed its importance in consolidating a popular passion that is not just about the sporting aspect, but the way it influences various aspects of culture, including fashion and the technical and aesthetic development of products. As a technical partner of Scuderia Ferrari, PUMA has been committed for years to creating a link between the values of the Maranello team, the needs of the drivers and the focus on performance, and has on a number of occasions developed products that celebrate the history of the Maranello team. For Monza GP, a limited edition collection has been designed that pays homage to two legendary cars and revisits historical elements such as red (a tribute to the Ferrari F1-75) and yellow - which refers to the Ferrari 499P LeMans hypercar.

For its 75th birthday, PUMA also celebrated its connection with Ferrari with the release of the Scuderia Ferrari SPEEDCAT PRO 75, in the traditional Rosso Corsa colour and with black and white details such as the two driver numbers and the 75 dedicated to the German brand's anniversary. The limited edition shoe pays tribute to the magnetic appeal of the team and drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. With them, nss sports talked about the Monza GP, the current season and the increasingly strong link between Formula 1 and fashion. 

Charles Leclerc: "the collaboration between pilots and designers has improved in recent years"

Charles Leclerc's season at every Grand Prix has offered unpredictable moments, from great performances to episodes in which the Monegasque has not hidden his displeasure. Leclerc's talent is what has brought him closer to the fans in recent years and Monza always has a special meaning, as he tells nss sports: "The feeling at Monza is different, it's a fuller week, there are more events and more fans. Then Milan is close and here I feel much more the closeness of the fans and in particular what we drivers represent for the people who follow us, this is only made even more beautiful if you have a positive result on Sunday, luckily in 2019 I discovered what it means to win here, the best memory of my career."

Precisely because of the relationship established this week between the team and the fans, the race result can only be the first thought for Leclerc, who analyses the season so far admitting that "it hasn't been an easy year, in fact, very difficult". About the weekend, however, he seems to be more optimistic, starting from the bad result of the last race: "We come from a negative race but luckily the week at Monza charges us all up and I can't wait to get on track again in front of the fans. On paper the circuit does not look ideal for us but so far we have had some positive surprises at circuits with similar characteristics to Monza, so hopefully it will be the same again this weekend, I would like to be on the podium."

Holding the shoe made by PUMA to celebrate the Monza GP, Leclerc returns to how drivers are increasingly key figures in the making of uniforms. The shoe may seem like an irrelevant detail in the single-seater but Ferrari's number 16 explains how 'the weight of the shoes is fundamental, because every gram affects the race anyway, and PUMA has made a product that is very light while still having great support on the ankle. There are a lot of forces in the corners and you have to maintain sensitivity, so the sole is also super important, especially during the entire length of the race, which can go over two hours."  

It is common to see the drivers in dialogue with mechanics and engineers, that with designers and brands is a more hidden collaboration but one that seems to involve Charles Leclerc a lot, also given the interest he has always shown in fashion. "We look at the technical aspect of making the suits and I realise that this collaboration between drivers and designers has changed over the years, now there is more exchange of ideas. I then always paid a lot of attention to fashion and what was going on in that world, when I found out that Ferrari was more and more interested in making capsules and more specific suits for each GP I immediately wanted to get involved. We drivers always know what the initial ideas are before we make a suit, this year we worked on a special edition for Monza and it's something I've never done before."

Carlos Sainz: "I am rediscovering fashion also thanks to Milan Fashion Week"

Over the Monza weekend, Carlos Sainz will celebrate his 29th birthday, three of them driving the number 55 Ferrari single-seater. The serious charm and composed elegance of the Spanish driver melts away when he talks about his relationship with Monza: 'for me, Monza has always been something special, already from my first Grand Prix in 2015, I saw it as a special race but when you become a Ferrari driver it becomes the most important race of the year, the one where you want to do better and where you want to get to the peak of form, to give the fans the best version of you not only on the track but also by spending time with them. For that you need good energy and a mentality that allows you to live the fact of being a Ferrari driver at Monza."

"For the last two years, in particular, my connection with fashion has changed, since the arrival of Ferrari Style I am closer to fashion. Formula 1 is still working in that sense and I've always been someone who didn't have a particular relationship with that world. I've always been more sporty and when I went out I didn't give much importance to that aspect but it's true that in the last period, I've been learning about this world, also through Milan Fashion Week. Now it amuses and interests me, I've discovered that I can use things I never thought I could wear." Like Leclerc, Sainz also addresses the subject of the development of the suits and shoes worn during the race, noting how things have changed in recent years: "the most important thing is performance, to have the performance you need to be comfortable because if you are not comfortable it adds thought and therefore space in your mind to concentrate. For shoes then, once you are comfortable the other important aspect is lightness, because if you are lighter the car goes faster. With PUMA we are going in this direction and I realize that everything I wore six or seven years ago was heavier.”

Before the lights go out at the start of the GP, the number 55 of the Rossa makes a point about the moment of the Scuderia. The optimistic thought is that "this weekend we should be stronger than last, I hope we can be in the condition of SPA, where we fought for the podium all weekend. This year it is unpredictable though to know what will happen, every weekend is different and we are in a different position. Being consistent for this is very important." Given the birthday milestone in sight and the habit of going so fast as if to travel into the future, it is curious to find out how a Ferrari driver imagines his life after F1. Carlos Sainz doesn't think about that, he tells us that 'at the moment it is difficult to think about the future, I can only think about how to realise my dream, which is to become world champion, and if I can do that in Ferrari even better. When you have a goal that occupies your mind so clearly it is difficult to think about anything else, I want to become a better driver and a better person, making the most of my time with my friends and family."