That got me thinking: Why would a world-class driver competing for a top team like Ferrari... play the piano?
I got curious and continue to read more about him.
Charles entered F1 in 2018. During the COVID lockdown when races stop, he picked up the piano and fell in love with it.
Even when the racing season resumed, he kept playing and even started composing his own original piano pieces!
In his own words: "My life has always been about speed since I was four and I started racing. And now, whenever I’m not racing, I always try to disconnect from the racing season with music and with the piano I love."
He shared that driving an F1 car at 300km/h requires non-stop, hyper-fast calculations under intense pressure.
Playing music does the exact opposite: it slows his heart rate down, gives his mind a completely non-competitive space to breathe, and lets him process emotions without needing a single word.
And that really made me reflect on music.
We often talk about music lessons in terms of achievements...passing exams ASAP, learning famous pieces and impress others...
But at its core, music is simply a quiet sanctuary.
Whether you’re a kid dealing with school stress, an adult juggling a demanding job, or a professional athlete driving at extreme speeds... having an instrument to sit down at is one of the healthiest ways to reset and clear your head.
Sometimes, you don't play to perform for anyone else. You just play to slow things down.
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