Charles Leclerc: The Life Story Behind Ferrari's Star
In this post
- Monaco, Monte Carlo, and the Karts
- The Rise: Sauber, Ferrari, and the First Wins
- The Peak: Monaco, the Home Win, and the Prince
- Monaco: The Prince, the Hero, and the Home Win
- Speed, Qualifying, and the Art of the One Lap
- The Monaco Curse, the Strategy, and the Heartbreak
- Monaco’s Prince, and the Fastest Qualifier in F1
- My Take:
Charles Leclerc is the fastest qualifier in Formula 1, and the prince of Ferrari, the driver who was born in Monaco, who grew up watching the Grand Prix from his apartment, and who won his home race in 2024, a triumph that made the whole principality celebrate, and one that was the most emotional win in recent Formula 1 history. He has won eight Grands Prix, he has taken more than twenty pole positions, and he is one of the best drivers in the world, a racer who is fast, brave, and brilliant, and who is still chasing his first world championship, with Ferrari, the team he has loved since he was a child.
Born on 16 October 1997 in Monte Carlo, Monaco, Leclerc grew up in a family where motorsport mattered, his father Hervé was a karting driver, and his godfather was Jules Bianchi, the Formula 1 driver who died in 2015, a loss that affected Charles deeply, and one that motivated him to succeed, for Jules, and for his father, who also died, in 2017, just before Charles won the Formula 2 championship. This is the story of Charles.
Monaco, Monte Carlo, and the Karts
Leclerc was born in Monte Carlo, and he grew up in Monaco, in an apartment that overlooked the Grand Prix circuit, watching the cars race past his window, every year, and dreaming of driving in Formula 1, for Ferrari, the team he loved, since he was a child. His father, Hervé, was a karting driver, who raced in the 1980s and 1990s, and his godfather was Jules Bianchi, the Formula 1 driver, who was a mentor, and a friend, and who died in 2015, after a crash in Japan, a loss that broke Charles’s heart, and one that made him determined to succeed, for Jules.
He started karting at four, and he won championships in France and Europe, and he moved to single-seaters in 2014, winning the Formula Renault championship, and the GP3 championship in 2016, and the Formula 2 championship in 2017, a rapid rise, and he made his Formula 1 debut in 2018, with Sauber, at twenty, scoring points in his second race, a debut that announced him as a star, and earned him a move to Ferrari, in 2019, a dream come true, for a boy from Monaco, who had watched the Grand Prix from his window.
Playing for Sauber from 2018 taught Charles Leclerc lessons that no training ground could teach, about winning, about losing, and about standing up, when the pressure was greatest, and Charles Leclerc carried those lessons with him, into every match, that followed, in his long, and remarkable, career. He made his debut in Formula 1, scoring points in his second race, and earning a move to Ferrari. Those years at Sauber remain a proud chapter in the story of Charles Leclerc, and in the history of Sauber itself.
The Rise: Sauber, Ferrari, and the First Wins
Leclerc’s rise came in 2018, when he joined Sauber, and scored points in his second race, in Azerbaijan, and finished the season with 39 points, a remarkable achievement in a slow car, and one that earned him a move to Ferrari, in 2019, replacing Kimi Räikkönen, a dream for a boy who had loved Ferrari since he was a child, and who was now driving for the most famous team in the sport, at twenty-one.
The rise became a triumph in 2019, when he won his first Grand Prix in Belgium, at Spa, a week after his friend Anthoine Hubert died in a Formula 2 crash at the same circuit, a victory that was emotional, and one that he dedicated to Anthoine, and he won again a week later, in Italy, at Monza, in front of the Ferrari fans, the tifosi, a triumph that made him a hero, and one that announced him as a future champion, with two wins, and seven pole positions, in his first season with Ferrari.
When Charles Leclerc arrived at Ferrari in 2019–, he found a club that believed in him, and Charles Leclerc repaid that faith with interest, playing with a hunger the fans of Ferrari noticed at once, and a quality the coaches at Ferrari trusted, in match after match, as Charles Leclerc grew into a player the team could build around. He has won eight Grands Prix and taken more than 20 pole positions, including his home win in Monaco in 2024. It was at Ferrari that Charles Leclerc became the player the world would come to know, and Ferrari played its part, in making him.
The Peak: Monaco, the Home Win, and the Prince
Leclerc’s peak so far came in 2024, when he won his home race, the Monaco Grand Prix, a triumph that had eluded him for years, because he had taken pole in Monaco, and then lost the race, through bad luck, and crashes, and strategy, a curse that seemed to follow him, at home, but in 2024, he won, leading from pole, and controlling the race, and the whole principality celebrated, and Charles cried on the podium, because he had won at home, for the first time, and for his father, who had died in 2017, and who had never seen him race in Formula 1.
He has also won eight Grands Prix, and taken more than twenty pole positions, and he finished second in the championship in 2022, behind Max Verstappen, a season in which he won three races, and led the championship, before Ferrari’s strategy and reliability cost him the title, a frustration, because he was fast enough to win, but the team let him down, a pattern that has defined his Ferrari career, and one that he is still trying to overcome, as he chases his first world championship.
He is still in his late twenties, and he has many years ahead of him, and the Formula 1 world expects him to win a championship, because he is the fastest qualifier in the sport, and one of the best racers, and he is driving for Ferrari, the team he loves, and the team that has the resources to win, if they can give him a car, and a strategy, that match his talent.
At the Monaco Grand Prix in 2024, Charles Leclerc proved, once again, that he was a player for the big occasion, delivering when the pressure was highest, and the stakes were greatest, in front of millions, around the world. He won his home race, leading from pole, and controlling the race, a triumph that made the whole principality celebrate. The Monaco Grand Prix of 2024 added another chapter to the story of Charles Leclerc, and it is one that his fans, will never forget.
The Belgian Grand Prix of 2019 remains a vivid memory for the fans of Charles Leclerc, because it was a tournament where Charles Leclerc played with a freedom, a bravery, and a skill, that made everyone take notice, of what he could do. He won his first race in Formula 1, at Spa, a week after Anthoine Hubert died at the same circuit. That tournament is still talked about, when fans remember the best of Charles Leclerc, and the best of his sport.
Year after year, the story was the same, because Charles Leclerc was there, at the top, competing, winning, and leading, and that longevity is what separates the great from the good, in Monaco and everywhere, because anyone can have one great season, but only the best, can have ten, and Charles Leclerc had them, in Monaco and around the world.
Formula 1 is the fastest sport in the world, and Charles Leclerc knows that pressure, because he raced it at the highest level, on circuits, watched by hundreds of millions, and in cars, that travel, at more than three hundred kilometres per hour, and that pressure is something, that only the best, can handle, and Charles Leclerc handled it, for years, in Monaco and around the world.
Monaco: The Prince, the Hero, and the Home Win
For Monaco, Leclerc is a hero and a legend, the first Monégasque driver ever to win the Monaco Grand Prix, and the first to win a Formula 1 race, for Ferrari, in his home town, a triumph that made the whole principality celebrate, and one that will be remembered for generations, because Charles grew up watching the race from his apartment, and he won it, in 2024, a fairy tale, that came true, after years of heartbreak, at home.
He is loved in Monaco, and he is respected around the world, for his speed, his bravery, and his class, a driver who is a role model, on and off the track, and a man who is a national icon, in a principality where the Grand Prix is the biggest event of the year, and Charles is the prince, who won it, for his home, and for his father, and for Jules, and for everyone who believed in him, since he was a boy, watching from his window.
Charles Leclerc went into the Italian Grand Prix in 2019 with expectation on his shoulders, and Charles Leclerc carried it, with a calm that impressed everyone, and a quality that decided matches, when they mattered most. He won at Monza, in front of the Ferrari fans, a week after his first win, a triumph that made him a hero. It was a performance that Charles Leclerc earned, and one that showed the world, exactly what Charles Leclerc could do.
The Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022 was one of the defining tournaments of the career of Charles Leclerc, because the whole world was watching, and Charles Leclerc showed, that he could perform, on the biggest stage, against the best, in his sport. He won the first race of the season, leading the championship, and beating Verstappen. The Bahrain Grand Prix of 2022 added another chapter to the story of Charles Leclerc, and it is one that his fans, will never forget.
At the Monaco Grand Prix in 2021, Charles Leclerc proved, once again, that he was a player for the big occasion, delivering when the pressure was highest, and the stakes were greatest, in front of millions, around the world. He took pole at home, but crashed, and could not start the race, a heartbreak that defined the Monaco curse. That tournament is still talked about, when fans remember the best of Charles Leclerc, and the best of his sport.
Speed, Qualifying, and the Art of the One Lap
Leclerc’s game is built on speed, especially over one lap. He is the fastest qualifier in Formula 1, with more than twenty pole positions, and a ability to extract the maximum from the car, on a single lap, that is unmatched, a skill that makes him a threat at every Grand Prix, because if he starts at the front, he can win, and he has won eight races, from pole, and from the front, a driver who is at his best, when the pressure is highest, and the lap is the one that counts.
What makes him special is his bravery and his racecraft. He is not afraid to overtake, he is not afraid to defend, and he is a racer who fights for every position, in every race, a mentality that is rare, and one that has made him a favourite of the fans, because he is exciting to watch, and he is always trying, always pushing, always looking for a way past, a driver who is a throwback, to the racers of the past, who drove with their heart, as much as with their head.
In 2024, Charles Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix win as a winner with Ferrari, winning his home race for the first time, after years of heartbreak. The Monaco Grand Prix win of 2024 stands out in the career of Charles Leclerc, because it was won against the best, in the biggest arena, and it took everything Charles Leclerc had, to win it, and the victory made him a hero, at home, and a star, around the world. That Monaco Grand Prix win remains a landmark in the story of Charles Leclerc, and in the history of Monaco sport.
In 2019, Charles Leclerc won the Belgian Grand Prix win as a winner with Ferrari, his first victory in Formula 1, at Spa, dedicated to Anthoine Hubert. Charles Leclerc still talks about the Belgian Grand Prix win in 2019 as one of the great days of his life, because the whole team, the whole country, and the whole sport, were watching, and Charles Leclerc delivered, with a performance that was calm, brave, and brilliant, when the pressure was greatest. It was a win that Charles Leclerc earned, and one that no one can ever take away from Charles Leclerc.
In 2019, Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix win as a winner with Ferrari, in front of the tifosi at Monza, a week after his first win. Winning the Italian Grand Prix win in 2019 changed the career of Charles Leclerc, because it turned promise into proof, and talent into titles, and it gave Charles Leclerc the confidence, to believe that he could win, again, and again, at the highest level, of his sport. The Italian Grand Prix win of 2019 is the kind of triumph that defines a career, and Charles Leclerc earned it, with years of work, and a performance, that will be remembered.
The Monaco Curse, the Strategy, and the Heartbreak
Leclerc’s career has had real heartbreak. He took pole in Monaco in 2021, and then crashed, and could not start the race, and he took pole again in 2022, and lost the race, through strategy, a pattern that made people say Monaco was cursed for Charles, a curse that seemed to follow him, at home, for years, until he broke it, in 2024, winning his home race, a triumph that was emotional, and one that silenced the doubters, and proved that the curse was over.
There have also been frustrations with Ferrari, because the team has made strategy mistakes, and reliability problems, that have cost him wins, and championships, in 2022, when he led the title race, and then lost it, through no fault of his own, a pattern that has defined his career, and one that he is still trying to overcome, as he chases his first world championship, with a team that he loves, but one that has let him down, too often, in the biggest moments.
The numbers tell their own story, for Charles Leclerc. He was the first Monégasque driver ever to win the Monaco Grand Prix, in 2024. He has taken more than 20 pole positions in Formula 1, the most for a Ferrari driver of his generation. He won the Formula 2 championship in 2017, in his rookie season, with seven wins. He won his first Grand Prix in 2019, at Spa, and his second a week later, at Monza, in front of the tifosi. He finished second in the 2022 world championship, his best result, behind Max Verstappen.
The record book tells the story of Charles Leclerc better than any speech could, because every number in it was earned, in competition, under pressure, and against opponents, who were trying, just as hard, to stop Charles Leclerc, and that is why the numbers, will last.
Monaco’s Prince, and the Fastest Qualifier in F1
Leclerc is widely regarded as the fastest qualifier in Formula 1, and he is one of the best drivers of his generation. He has won eight Grands Prix, he has taken more than twenty pole positions, and he has won his home race, the Monaco Grand Prix, in 2024, a triumph that made him a hero, and a legend, in Monaco, and around the world, a driver who is still chasing his first world championship, and who is expected to win one, because he is fast enough, and brave enough, and good enough, to be a champion.
His legacy is also about Monaco, because he is the first Monégasque ever to win at home, and he has put his principality on the Formula 1 map, inspiring a generation of young Monégasques to dream, and to race, and to believe that a boy from Monaco can win, in Monaco, for Ferrari, a fairy tale, that came true, in 2024, and one that will be remembered, for generations, as the day Charles won at home.
In 2022, Charles Leclerc won the Bahrain Grand Prix win as a winner with Ferrari, leading the championship, in the first race of the season. The Bahrain Grand Prix win in 2022 was a triumph that Charles Leclerc will never forget, because it came after years of work, and it proved that Charles Leclerc belonged, among the best, in his sport, and the medal, the trophy, and the memory, remain among the proudest, of his whole career. That Bahrain Grand Prix win remains a landmark in the story of Charles Leclerc, and in the history of Monaco sport.
In 2022, Charles Leclerc won the Australian Grand Prix win as a winner with Ferrari, dominating the race, and taking the fastest lap. When Charles Leclerc won the Australian Grand Prix win in 2022, it was the reward for everything he had given to the game, the training, the sacrifice, and the belief, and it showed the world, in Monaco and everywhere, that Charles Leclerc was not just a talented player, but a winner, who could deliver, when it mattered most. It was a win that Charles Leclerc earned, and one that no one can ever take away from Charles Leclerc.
In 2022, Charles Leclerc won the Austrian Grand Prix win as a winner with Ferrari, beating Max Verstappen, in a straight fight. The Austrian Grand Prix win of 2022 stands out in the career of Charles Leclerc, because it was won against the best, in the biggest arena, and it took everything Charles Leclerc had, to win it, and the victory made him a hero, at home, and a star, around the world. The Austrian Grand Prix win of 2022 is the kind of triumph that defines a career, and Charles Leclerc earned it, with years of work, and a performance, that will be remembered.
Beyond the headline triumphs, there were more, because Charles Leclerc also won the Austrian Grand Prix win in 2022; the Formula 2 championship in 2017; the GP3 championship in 2016, honours that are easy to overlook, beside the biggest titles, but ones that show the depth, and the consistency, of the career of Charles Leclerc, year after year, tournament after tournament, at the highest level.
Count the honours, and the scale of the career of Charles Leclerc becomes clear, because the list runs to 8 major titles, medals, and awards, each one earned, in competition, against the best, in Monaco and the world, and each one a chapter, in a story, that few players, in any sport, can match, for length, for quality, and for consistency, over so many years, and among them, the Monaco Grand Prix win in 2024 stands tall, for Charles Leclerc and for Monaco.
The journey of Charles Leclerc took him from Sauber to Ferrari, two clubs, two chapters, and one career, built on work, on talent, and on a refusal, to settle, for anything less, than the very best, Charles Leclerc could be, in his sport.
My Take:
I want to be honest about Charles Leclerc, about what was great, and about what was not, because that is the only way, to understand, a career, like his.
What I admire most about Leclerc is the speed, because he is the fastest qualifier in Formula 1, with more than twenty pole positions, and a ability to extract the maximum from the car, on a single lap, that is unmatched, and he has won eight races, and he won his home race, in Monaco, in 2024, a triumph that made the whole principality celebrate. When I look at young drivers who want to be fast, I tell them to watch Charles, because speed over one lap is the hardest skill to learn, and he has it, in abundance, and that is why he is the prince of Ferrari, and why he is expected to win a championship.
The Monaco win in 2024 is the moment that defines him, because he had taken pole at home, and lost, through bad luck, and crashes, and strategy, for years, a curse that seemed to follow him, but in 2024, he won, leading from pole, and controlling the race, and he cried on the podium, because he had won at home, for the first time, and for his father, who had died in 2017, and who had never seen him race in Formula 1. That is not just a win, it is a fairy tale, and it is the performance that will be remembered when his career is over.
I also think Leclerc is underrated as a racer, because people remember the qualifying, but they forget the overtakes, the defence, and the bravery that make him one of the best racers on the grid, a driver who is not afraid to fight, and who is always trying, always pushing, always looking for a way past, a mentality that is rare, and one that has made him a favourite of the fans, because he is exciting to watch, and he is a throwback, to the racers of the past.
If I have a criticism, it is only the Ferrari strategy, and that is not his fault, it is the team’s. He led the championship in 2022, and then lost it, through strategy mistakes, and reliability problems, a pattern that has defined his career, and one that he is still trying to overcome, as he chases his first world championship. But the Monaco win is his, and the eight victories are his, and those are achievements that will last forever, and that is why he is a legend, in Monaco, and around the world.
The moment I keep coming back to is the Monaco win in 2024, because Leclerc won his home race, leading from pole, and the whole principality celebrated, and Charles cried on the podium, because he had won at home, for the first time, and for his father, who had died in 2017. It is the kind of moment that stays with you, long after the match is over, and it is why Charles Leclerc matters, not just as a player, but as an example, for anyone, who wants to be great.
Take the first win at Spa in 2019, and look at it closely, because Leclerc won his first Grand Prix, at Spa, a week after Anthoine Hubert died at the same circuit, a victory that was emotional, and one that he dedicated to Anthoine, a friend, and a fellow racer. That is not luck, it is preparation, meeting opportunity, and Charles Leclerc was prepared, because he had done the work, for years, before that moment, ever arrived.
I will never forget the Monza win in 2019, because Leclerc won at Monza, in front of the Ferrari fans, a week after his first win, a triumph that made him a hero, and one that announced him as a future champion, with the tifosi cheering his name. Moments like that are why sport matters, and why Charles Leclerc will be remembered, long after the final whistle, of his final match, has blown.
When I think about the pole in Monaco in 2021, I think about what it teaches, because Leclerc took pole at home, but crashed, and could not start the race, a heartbreak that defined the Monaco curse, and one that made his win in 2024 even more emotional, because he had waited so long, to win at home. And that is the lesson, that talent opens the door, but character walks through it, and Charles Leclerc walked through it, again and again, in his career.
One record, more than any other, sums up Charles Leclerc, because He was the first Monégasque driver ever to win the Monaco Grand Prix, in 2024. It is the kind of achievement that takes a whole career, to earn, and a whole lifetime, to appreciate, and Charles Leclerc earned it, the hard way.
Look at the record, and look at what it means, because He has taken more than 20 pole positions in Formula 1, the most for a Ferrari driver of his generation. That is not a number on a page, it is a career, in miniature, and it is why Charles Leclerc belongs, among the greats, of his sport.
The numbers say it plainly, because He won the Formula 2 championship in 2017, in his rookie season, with seven wins. And numbers do not lie, they do not flatter, and they do not forget, and that is why the record of Charles Leclerc will stand, for years, to come.
One record, more than any other, sums up Charles Leclerc, because He won his first Grand Prix in 2019, at Spa, and his second a week later, at Monza, in front of the tifosi. It is the kind of achievement that takes a whole career, to earn, and a whole lifetime, to appreciate, and Charles Leclerc earned it, the hard way.
The lesson of Charles Leclerc is a lesson for every young racer in Monaco, because he proved that work, talent, and belief, win races, and that a boy, from anywhere, can become a champion, if he is willing, to do the work, that others will not do, and to keep going, when others stop.
The fans of Charles Leclerc will tell you, that he was more than a driver, because he gave them memories, that they will carry, for the rest of their lives, and that is the true measure, of a racer, not the wins, but the thrill, he gave, to the people, who watched him race.
If you want to understand Charles Leclerc, start with the numbers, because he won 8 major honours, he played for 2 clubs or teams, and he set 5 records, that are listed, in his story, and those numbers were not given to him, they were earned, in competition, against the best, in the world, over many years, and that is why they matter, because they are the proof, of a career, that was built, on work, on talent, and on a refusal, to accept, anything less, than the best.
The future is still open for Charles Leclerc, because his story is not finished, and the next chapter, whatever it holds, will be watched, by millions, in Monaco and around the world, who want to see, what he does next, and whether he can add, to a career, that is already, one of the greats, of his sport, and that is the mark, of a true star, that people care, about what happens next, long after, the biggest triumphs, are already, in the past.
What stays with me, about Charles Leclerc, is the consistency, because year after year, season after season, he delivered, the same standard, the same effort, and the same quality, and that is harder, than one brilliant season, because anyone can be great, for a month, but only the best, are great, for a decade, and Charles Leclerc was great, for a decade, in Monaco and around the world.
I think about the young Charles Leclerc, the one who started out, with nothing but talent, and a dream, and I think about how far he travelled, from those first days, to the Monaco Grand Prix win in 2024, and the journey is the story, not the destination, because the work, the sacrifice, and the belief, are what made him, and the trophy, was only, the proof.
There is something about the way Charles Leclerc handled defeat, that tells you, more about him, than any victory ever could, because he lost, he learned, and he came back, stronger, and he did not blame anyone, he did not make excuses, and he did not quit, and that is why, his teammates trusted him, and his opponents respected him, at Ferrari and everywhere, he played.
The numbers tell one story, about Charles Leclerc, but the eyes tell another, because anyone who watched him play, could see, that he loved the game, that he played, with joy, and with freedom, and that love, is what carried him, through the hard days, and the injuries, and the defeats, and it is why, he lasted, as long as he did, at the very top.
I often wonder, what Charles Leclerc would say, to a young player, starting out today, in Monaco, and I think he would say, work hard, believe in yourself, and never stop learning, because that is what he did, from his first day, to his last, and it is the simplest advice, and the hardest, to follow, and it is the reason, he became, one of the best, in the world.
The Monaco Grand Prix win in 2024 was not the end, of the story of Charles Leclerc, it was the beginning, of the next chapter, because after that triumph, he was no longer, a hopeful, he was a champion, and champions are judged, differently, and he knew it, and he rose, to that judgement, again and again, in Monaco and around the world, for the rest, of his career.
What I respect, about Charles Leclerc, is that he never took the easy road, because he could have stayed, where he was comfortable, and he chose, to test himself, against the best, in the biggest matches, and that choice, is what separates, the good from the great, and it is why, his name, is remembered, by fans, in every country, where his sport, is played.
When the history of Monaco sport is written, the name of Charles Leclerc will be, in the first chapter, because he changed, what people believed, was possible, and he showed, a whole generation, that a boy from their streets, could become, a champion of the world, and that belief, is worth, more than any trophy, in any cabinet.
I have no doubt, that Charles Leclerc will be remembered, not just for the Monaco Grand Prix win in 2024, but for the way, he carried himself, on and off the field, because he was humble, in victory, and gracious, in defeat, and he treated people, with respect, and that is the kind of greatness, that lasts, long after, the last match, has been played.
The best thing, about watching Charles Leclerc, was that you never knew, what he would do next, because he could surprise you, in any moment, with a piece of skill, that no one expected, and that unpredictability, is what made him, so exciting, to watch, and so hard, to play against, and it is why, fans in Monaco, still talk about him, today.
I have watched Charles Leclerc for years, and the thing that strikes me, every time, is the intelligence, because he reads the game, two moves ahead, and he is already, where the ball will be, before anyone else, has even moved, and that anticipation is not luck, it is study, and it is why Charles Leclerc was so hard, to play against, in Monaco and around the world, for so many years.
If I could tell a young player one thing, about Charles Leclerc, it would be this, watch how he trains, because the matches are the reward, but the training is the work, and Charles Leclerc trained, like every session mattered, like every drill, was a final, and that attitude is the reason, that he lasted, at the top, for so long, and won, the Monaco Grand Prix win in 2024, and so much more, besides.
People talk about the talent of Charles Leclerc, and they are right to, because the talent was obvious, from the first time, anyone saw him play, but talent is only the start, and what made Charles Leclerc great, was the work, that came after, the hours, the repetition, and the refusal, to be satisfied, with being good, when he could be, the best, in the world.
There is a moment, in every great career, when the player realises, that he belongs, and for Charles Leclerc, that moment changed everything, because from then on, he did not hope, to win, he expected to, and that expectation, carried him, through the hardest matches, of his career, in Monaco and around the world, and it is why, he won, again and again.
That is the career of Charles Leclerc, in full, the triumphs, the heartbreaks, and the lessons, and it is a career, that deserves, to be remembered, not just, for what he won, but for how, he won it, and for who, he was, while, he was winning it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Charles Leclerc born?
Charles Leclerc was born on 16 October 1997 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. He grew up in an apartment overlooking the Grand Prix circuit, started karting at four, and made his F1 debut in 2018 with Sauber, at twenty.
Did Charles Leclerc win the Monaco Grand Prix?
Yes, Leclerc won his home race, the Monaco Grand Prix, in 2024, leading from pole and controlling the race. He was the first Monégasque driver ever to win the Monaco Grand Prix, a triumph that made the whole principality celebrate.
How many races has Charles Leclerc won?
Leclerc has won eight Grands Prix in Formula 1, all with Ferrari. He won his first race in Belgium in 2019, and his second a week later in Italy, at Monza, in front of the Ferrari fans.
Is Charles Leclerc a world champion?
No, Leclerc has not yet won the Formula 1 world championship. He finished second in 2022, behind Max Verstappen, his best result, and he is still chasing his first title with Ferrari.
Who was Charles Leclerc’s godfather?
Leclerc’s godfather was Jules Bianchi, the Formula 1 driver who died in 2015 after a crash in Japan. Bianchi was a mentor to Charles, and his death motivated Leclerc to succeed, for Jules, and for his father, who died in 2017.