Charles Leclerc, the Scuderia Ferrari driver, has unveiled his latest entrepreneurial venture: SIDEQUEST. This creative studio, launched in collaboration with photographer-filmmaker Antoine Truchet and brand strategist Nicolas Jayr, marks another step for Leclerc outside the racing world. It follows his previous successful foray into the ice cream market with his 'LEC' brand.
Why it matters
SIDEQUEST represents a growing trend among top athletes to diversify their portfolios and express creativity beyond their primary sport. For Leclerc, it's a way to channel his curiosity and passion for creation, blending storytelling with interactive media and digital experiences. It underscores his commitment to exploring innovative projects.
The details
SIDEQUEST is designed as a creative studio focused on producing immersive content that merges elements of gaming, design, and innovation. Leclerc emphasized that his fans often refer to his non-racing pursuits as 'side quests,' a term he embraces as part of his creative process.
"My fans often comment on my ‘side quests,’ and honestly, I take that as a compliment," Leclerc stated. "These aren’t distractions, they’re part of how I think, express myself, and create. Over time, I’ve become increasingly curious and intentional about how things are made: the emotion, the detail, the story. SIDEQUEST is a way to bring that mindset to life and to share it with others."
Antoine Truchet highlighted the collaborative nature of the project: "Athletes like Charles, they live incredible lives… a lot of stuff going on outside of competition. So we really wanted to create a little space where we can turn all of their sidequests into stories." He added that the team's diverse skills—Leclerc's athlete's instinct, Truchet's filmmaking, and Jayr's brand strategy—make SIDEQUEST unique.
Nicolas Jayr stressed the importance of authenticity in connecting with culture and emotions. "We see SIDEQUEST to be quite an open-ended canvas, like we don’t want to narrow ourselves down to being just a sports agency or being just about athletes, like it really is a canvas to let us have fun."
What's next
SIDEQUEST aims to explore an open-ended canvas of creative projects, going beyond traditional sports agency roles. The studio is poised to become a platform for diverse storytelling, leveraging the unique insights of its founders to connect with audiences through innovative digital and interactive content.