Charles Leclerc: a Monegasque in Formula 1

Moving up, like many of his illustrious predecessors, through karting, Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula 3, Charles Leclerc distinguished himself by winning the GP3 Series (2016) and Formula 2 (2017) championships when he was barely 20.

Recruited by the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team for the 2018 championship, he became the third Monegasque driver to compete in Formula 1, following in the footsteps of Louis Chiron and Olivier Beretta.

The Rocher native finished his first season among the motor racing elite in thirteenth place overall, and on the back of this promising result, he joined the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari in September 2018.

This tragedy was followed in 2017 by the death of his father, Hervé Leclerc, a Formula 3 driver during the 1990s.

Hervé Leclerc and Jules Bianchi: two motor racing personalities who passed on their passion to Charles from his first laps around the karting track to his debut driving single-seater cars, and who remain on his mind in every race.

The loss of my father and of Jules. Two incredibly tough moments in my life which made me stronger as a person and as a driver.

In 2024, Charles achieved his first home victory. During the 81st edition of the Monaco Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver successfully converted his pole position into a win and stood on the podium with Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and his teammate Carlos Sainz. “This is a moment I will never forget. I’ve dreamt of this since I was a child… Once I crossed the finish line, I mostly thought of my dad, who always did everything to help me get to where I am today,” he told Monaco-Matin before diving into the Port Hercule with the Ferrari team. For Prince Albert II, who was very moved, this victory is “historic.” “We had been hoping for so long that there would be a Monegasque driver who could win in Monaco…”

In 2024, Charles Leclerc also won the Italian and American Grands Prix.