Charles Leclerc facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles Leclerc
Leclerc at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix
Born	Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (1997-10-16) 16 October 1997 (age 27) Monte Carlo, Monaco
Relatives	Arthur Leclerc (brother) Jules Bianchi (godfather)
Awards	Full list
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Monégasque
Car number	16
Entries	30 (30 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	4
Career points	144
Pole positions	2
Fastest laps	2
First entry	2018 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2019 Belgian Grand Prix
Last win	2024 United States Grand Prix
Last entry	2019 Monaco Grand Prix
2024 position	3rd (356 pts)
Previous series
2017 2016 2015 2014 2014	FIA Formula 2 GP3 Series FIA F3 European Formula Renault Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
Championship titles
2017 2016	FIA Formula 2 GP3 Series
Signature

Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁl ləklɛʁ]; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver, who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2022 with Ferrari, and has won Grands Prix across seven seasons.

Born and raised in Monte Carlo, Leclerc began competitive kart racing aged seven. After a successful karting career—culminating in his victory at the junior direct-drive Karting World Cup in 2011—Leclerc graduated to junior formulae. Progressing directly to Formula Renault 2.0, he finished runner-up to Nyck de Vries in the Alps Series and achieved several podium finishes in the Eurocup. Leclerc graduated to FIA European Formula 3 in 2015, winning several races as he finished fourth in his rookie season. He won his first championship at the 2016 GP3 Series with ART. Leclerc then won the inaugural FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2017 with Prema, becoming the fourth driver to win the GP2/Formula 2 championship in their rookie season and breaking several records.

Leclerc made his Formula One debut in 2018 with Sauber as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, scoring several points finishes in the C37. He joined Ferrari for 2019 to partner Sebastian Vettel, and became the second-youngest polesitter in Formula One history at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Leclerc took his maiden career win in Belgium, before ending Ferrari's record nine-year drought at the Italian Grand Prix, which saw him nicknamed "il Predestinato" in Italian media. After winless seasons for Ferrari in 2020 and 2021, Leclerc took several victories and finished runner-up to Max Verstappen in the 2022 World Drivers' Championship. Following five pole positions and six podiums in his 2023 campaign, Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix in 2024, becoming the first Monégasque driver to win the race in 93 years; he achieved further victories in Italy and the United States as he finished third in the championship.

As of the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix, Leclerc has achieved race wins, 2 pole positions, 2 fastest laps and 4 podiums in Formula One. Leclerc is contracted to remain at Ferrari until at least the end of the 2026 season. Outside of motor racing, Leclerc collaborated with pianist Sofiane Pamart on the extended play Dreamers (2024), which peaked at number two on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.

Early and personal life

Leclerc (left) with his mother, Pascale, after winning the 2017 FIA Formula 2 Championship

Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc was born on 16 October 1997 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Leclerc grew up as the middle child between older half-brother Lorenzo and younger brother Arthur. His father, Hervé Leclerc, was a racing driver who competed in Formula Three in the 1980s and 1990s, whilst his mother, Pascale Leclerc, is a former hairdresser. Hervé died after a long illness, aged 54, four days before Leclerc won the feature race at the 2017 Baku Formula 2 round. Two days before his death, Leclerc lied to his father that he had signed a Formula One contract for the 2018 season; he signed with Sauber a month later. His older brother, Lorenzo, was best friends with Jules Bianchi, who was Leclerc's godfather until his death in 2015. His younger brother, Arthur, is also a racing driver who has competed in open-wheel and sportscar racing, winning the Formula Regional Asian Championship in 2022.

Leclerc is trilingual, fluent in French, Italian, and English. Although the French pronunciation of his name uses silent final consonants, he has stated that when speaking English he often uses the Anglicised pronunciation. He has said he "likes both", and that others using either pronunciation is acceptable to him. Leclerc has described his religious stance as "[believing] in God, but [not someone] who would pray or go to church".

Since 2023, Leclerc has been in a relationship with Italian model and influencer Alexandra Saint Mleux.

Junior racing career

Karting (2005–2013)

2005–2010: Success in national championships

Leclerc began his karting career in 2005, winning the French PACA Championship in 2005, 2006, and 2008. In 2009 he became French Cadet champion before moving up to the KF3 class in 2010, where he won the Junior Monaco Kart Cup.

2011–2013: Progression to international series

He continued in the KF3 class for 2011, winning the CIK-FIA KF3 World Cup, the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy and the ERDF Junior Kart Masters. During the year, Leclerc also became a member of Nicolas Todt's All Road Management company. Leclerc graduated to the KF2 category in 2012 with the factory-backed ART Grand Prix team, winning the WSK Euro Series title, as well as finishing runner-up in the CIK-FIA European KF2 Championship and the CIK-FIA Under 18 World Karting Championship. In his final year of karting in 2013, Leclerc won the South Garda Winter Cup and claimed sixth position in the CIK-FIA European KZ Championship and finished second in the CIK-FIA World KZ Championship, behind current Red Bull Formula One driver Max Verstappen.

Formula Renault 2.0 (2014)

Formula Renault 2.0 Alps

In 2014, Leclerc graduated to single-seaters, racing in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps championship for British team Fortec Motorsports. During the season, he took seven podium positions, including a double victory at Monza, to finish runner-up in the championship behind Koiranen GP's Nyck de Vries. Leclerc also won the Junior Championship title at the final race of the season in Jerez, finishing ahead of teenager Matevos Isaakyan.

Formula Renault Eurocup

Leclerc also took part in a partial Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season with Fortec as a guest driver. In the six races he contested he finished on the podium three times, taking a second place at the Nürburgring followed by a pair of second-place finishes at the Hungaroring.

Formula Three (2015–2016)

2015: FIA European Formula 3

Leclerc racing in the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship

Leclerc graduated to Formula Three in 2015, racing in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Dutch team Van Amersfoort Racing. At the opening round of the season in Silverstone, Leclerc inherited pole position for the second and third races of the weekend after original pole-sitter Felix Rosenqvist was excluded for a technical infringement. He went on to take his first race victory in the third race of the weekend, ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi and Jake Dennis. He took his second victory at the following round in Hockenheim, winning the third race as well as taking two additional podiums and three rookie victories over the course of the event. Leclerc scored his third win in the first race at Spa-Francorchamps which saw him take the lead in the championship. However, Leclerc finished fourth in the standings, mostly due to damage sustained to his car's chassis following a collision with Lance Stroll at Zandvoort.

Macau Grand Prix

Following his GP3 campaign, Leclerc entered the Macau Grand Prix with Van Amersfoort. After qualifying third, Leclerc finished second to Felix Rosenqvist in the qualification race after a penalty for Antonio Giovinazzi, which set the grid for the main race. Leclerc again finished second to Rosenqvist in the Grand Prix, following a race-long battle.

2016: GP3 Series

In December 2015, Leclerc partook in post-season testing with ART Grand Prix and Arden International. In February 2016, de Vries confirmed that Leclerc would race in the 2016 GP3 season. ART signed Leclerc the following week. With the team, he claimed three victories and took the title in his first year of the series, despite crashing out in the feature race of the season's final race in Abu Dhabi.

FIA Formula 2 (2017)

Leclerc (pictured at Monza) graduated to FIA Formula 2 with Prema in 2017.

Following his GP3 title victory, Leclerc progressed to FIA Formula 2 with Prema for its inaugural 2017 season, alongside fellow Ferrari Driver Academy member Antonio Fuoco. Debuting at Sakhir, Leclerc took pole position for the feature race, where he finished third. In the reverse-grid sprint race, he opted for a mid-race pit stop—an uncommon practise in sprints—after creating a nine-second lead; Leclerc proceeded to overtake 13 drivers in nine laps to secure his maiden F2 victory. He took pole again in Barcelona, holding off Luca Ghiotto to win his first feature amidst a radio issue, before finishing fourth in the sprint. Leclerc retired from both races at his home round in Monte Carlo after qualifying on pole, suffering suspension failure in the feature and collision damage with Norman Nato in the sprint. Whilst retaining his championship lead, he described the weekend as "hugely disappointing". Leclerc dedicated his pole in Baku to his recently-deceased father Hervé, before converting it to victory in the feature and second-place in the sprint, losing the win to Nato at the latter following a 10-second time penalty for ignoring yellow flags. He won the Spielberg feature from pole, holding off teammate Fuoco and the DAMS of Nicholas Latifi. Leclerc collided with the former in the sprint, reducing his championship lead over Oliver Rowland to 49 points midway through the season.

Leclerc dominated F2 in his rookie season, taking a joint-record seven victories and clinching the championship in Jerez, aged 19.

Leclerc achieved a record-equalling sixth consecutive pole at Silverstone, winning the feature amidst multiple reliability issues, including his brakes and exhaust setting on fire. He was disqualified from pole in Budapest for a technical infringement, finishing fourth in the feature and sprint after starting the former in last-place, albeit behind title rival Rowland in both. Leclerc returned to pole at Spa-Francorchamps, but was disqualified from his 25-second winning margin in the feature due to excessive skid block wear. Leclerc recovered to fifth after starting nineteenth in the sprint. Whilst battling for the lead of the Monza feature with Nyck de Vries, the pair collided on the final lap following a late-race safety car, condemning both drivers to finish outside the points. With a 59-point margin over Rowland heading into the penultimate round at Jerez, Leclerc required pole position and victory to clinch the title in the feature; after achieving his eighth pole of the season, he held off a late charge by Rowland to become the then-youngest GP2/Formula 2 champion—aged 19 years, 356 days—as well as the third rookie champion after Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Nico Hülkenberg. At the season-ending Yas Island round, Leclerc inherited second-place in the feature after disqualifications for Rowland and teammate Fuoco. Starting seventh for the sprint, he overtook Alexander Albon on the final lap to secure his record-equalling seventh victory of the season. Leclerc was named FIA Rookie of the Year for his efforts in 2017, achieving seven wins from 10 podiums and eight pole positions, finishing 72 points ahead of eventual runner-up Artem Markelov.

Formula One career

Leclerc (left) joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016, completing four free practice sessions with Haas.

In 2016, Leclerc joined the Ferrari Driver Academy and was signed as a development driver for Haas and Ferrari. As part of his role at Haas, Leclerc participated in the first free practice sessions of the British, Hungarian, German and Brazilian Grands Prix. He was initially rumoured to graduate direct to Formula One with Haas after winning the 2016 GP3 Series; team principal Guenther Steiner denied the rumours and stated that Leclerc would instead progress to FIA Formula 2.

Leclerc completed four sessions with Sauber in 2017, as well as the mid-season test with Ferrari.

Leclerc took part in the 2017 mid-season test at the Hungaroring with Ferrari—driving the SF70H—completing 98 laps and setting the fastest lap of the first day. Kimi Räikkönen praised his performance, stating that "it's not easy to do well in a different car from what you normally drive", adding that "for sure he will do great things in the future". Leclerc completed further free practice sessions with Sauber at the Malaysian, United States, Mexican and Brazilian Grands Prix, after signing with the team for 2018.

Sauber (2018)

Leclerc racing for Sauber at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix

For the 2018 Formula One World Championship, Leclerc signed for the Sauber F1 Team as a race driver, replacing Pascal Wehrlein and alongside Marcus Ericsson. This marked the first appearance of a Monégasque Formula One driver since Olivier Beretta in 1994. At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a sixth-place finish saw him become the second Monégasque driver to score points in Formula One after Louis Chiron, who finished third at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix. At his first home race in Formula One, Leclerc suffered a brake failure in the closing laps, colliding into the back of Brendon Hartley and forcing both cars into retirement. Three consecutive points finishes followed before a run of five races without points. This run included three retirements; a loose wheel in Britain, suspension damage after colliding with Sergio Pérez in Hungary, and a multi-car accident in Belgium caused by Nico Hülkenberg which resulted in Fernando Alonso being launched over the top of Leclerc's car.

More points finishes came with ninth in Singapore and seventh in Russia, before retirements from a mechanical failure in Japan and damage from a collision with Romain Grosjean in the United States. He ended the season with three consecutive seventh-place finishes in the final three races. Leclerc out-qualified teammate Ericsson seventeen times from twenty-one races and finished 13th in the championship with 39 points.

Ferrari (2019–present)

2019: Maiden victories and il Predestinato

Leclerc (pictured at the Chinese Grand Prix) moved to Ferrari in 2019, his second season.

Leclerc signed for Ferrari in 2019, swapping seats with Kimi Räikkönen to partner four-time World Drivers' Champion Sebastian Vettel. Then-team principal Maurizio Arrivabene stated that his contract would run until 2022. Leclerc completed his first test with Ferrari in the 2018 post-season test at Yas Marina, setting the fastest time in the SF71H. He debuted for the team at the Australian Grand Prix, qualifying and finishing fifth. At the following round in Bahrain, Leclerc took his maiden pole position to become the second-youngest polesitter in Formula One history. He led the majority of the race before losing the lead with 10 laps remaining amidst an engine issue, overtaken by both Mercedes drivers; he finished third after a late-race safety car, securing his maiden podium finish. Leclerc qualified fourth at the Chinese Grand Prix and overtook Vettel at the start, before being ordered to let him pass and ultimately finishing fifth. In Azerbaijan, Leclerc crashed out of the second qualifying session, forcing him to start eighth; he finished the race in fifth. He again finished fifth at the Spanish Grand Prix. At his first Monaco Grand Prix with Ferrari, he started fifteenth following a strategic error from the team in the first qualifying session. He suffered a tyre puncture and floor damage after an overtake attempt on Nico Hülkenberg, leading to his second retirement at his home race. Leclerc qualified and finished third at both the Canadian and French Grands Prix. He took pole at the Austrian Grand Prix, finishing second to Max Verstappen after an overtake on the antepenultimate lap, during which they made contact—the stewards' investigation deemed it a racing incident. At the British Grand Prix, Leclerc qualified third ahead of Verstappen. The pair engaged in a close battle throughout the race, with Leclerc finishing ahead in third to secure his fourth consecutive podium.

Leclerc (right) won the Italian Grand Prix amidst a battle with Lewis Hamilton (left), which saw him nicknamed il Predestinato in Italian media.

Leclerc qualified in tenth-place at the German Grand Prix after a fuel system issue. In the rain-affected race, he climbed to fourth in the early laps before being called in for dry tyres too early, causing him to lose traction and retire from the race after colliding with the barriers on lap 29. In Hungary, Leclerc qualified fourth after suffering rear-end damage, ultimately finishing in the same position. He took pole for the Belgian Grand Prix, fending off Lewis Hamilton to secure his maiden victory. Aged 21 years and 320 days, Leclerc became the third-youngest Formula One Grand Prix winner, as well as the first Monégasque. He dedicated his victory to Anthoine Hubert, who was killed the day prior during the FIA Formula 2 support race. Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix—the home Grand Prix of Ferrari—from pole position after defending the lead from both Mercedes drivers to become the first Ferrari winner at Monza since Fernando Alonso in 2010; his victory saw him nicknamed il Predestinato (lit. the Predestined) in Italian media. He took pole again in Singapore and finished second after being undercut by teammate Vettel. Team principal Mattia Binotto stated that Vettel was allowed to pit first to defend position from Verstappen, adding that they considered re-swapping the positions. In Russia, Leclerc took his fourth consecutive pole position before finishing third, after a virtual safety car saw both Mercedes drivers pass Leclerc with shortened pit stops. He qualified second at the Japanese Grand Prix, but took damage in a first-lap collision with Verstappen after understeering into his sidepod; he finished sixth. Leclerc finished fourth at the Mexican and United States Grands Prix, inheriting pole at the former after a grid penalty for Verstappen. A controversial collision with teammate Vettel caused both drivers to retire from the Brazilian Grand Prix. Both were reprimanded by Binotto, who stated that they "should be sorry for the team". Leclerc finished the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in third-place, clinching fourth in the World Drivers' Championship with 264 points, 24 ahead of teammate Vettel. In addition to winning the FIA Pole Trophy with seven pole positions, he recorded two victories, four fastest laps, and 10 podium finishes.

2020–2021: Winless seasons for Ferrari

Leclerc (pictured at pre-season testing) achieved two podiums in 2020, driving the SF1000.

Leclerc qualified seventh for the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix. The team struggled for pace in the race but due to the chaotic nature of the race recovered to finish second with Leclerc pulling off crucial overtaking manoeuvres on fresh tyres after the final restart. In the build-up to the Styrian Grand Prix weekend, Leclerc and Ferrari were investigated by the FIA after allegedly breaching the governing body's strict COVID-19 safety protocols after returning home to Monaco (with permission from his team) in between the Austrian and Styrian Grands Prix events with social media posts showing Leclerc socialising with fans, friends and his girlfriend. Leclerc initially denied any wrongdoing. However, Leclerc and Scuderia Ferrari were given a warning after it was clear he had been in contact with people not included in his bubble. In the qualifying session for the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix, he ended up 11th fastest in a full wet session and was knocked out in Q2. He was demoted to 14th after receiving a three-place penalty for impeding Daniil Kvyat in the session. In the race, Leclerc collided with his team-mate Sebastian Vettel on the first lap, causing them both to retire. .....

At the next race, the Hungarian Grand Prix, Leclerc qualified sixth, one place behind Vettel. In the race, Leclerc struggled with tyre wear and general lack of speed and finished in 11th place, five places behind teammate Vettel. Leclerc qualified fourth at the British Grand Prix and went on to finish third, claiming the 12th podium finish of his F1 career and second of the season. For the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Leclerc qualified eighth. He subsequently pulled off a one-stop strategy to advance to fourth in the race.

Before competing in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix in 2020 at Silverstone, Leclerc reacted angrily to accusations that he was racist and opposed to the Black Lives Matter movement, responding by saying racism is "disgusting" and accusing headlines of attempting to manipulate his words. The accusations came after he was one of six drivers who opted not to take a knee during the pre-race ceremonies of the opening events of the 2020 Formula One World Championship as part of the sports anti-racism campaign. He stated that he chose not to take a knee due to the negative political connotations he felt such a gesture could have.

At the 2020 Italian Grand Prix he qualified thirteenth but in the race, he crashed out at Parabolica on lap 24, while he was in fourth, thanks to a pitstop earlier than others who pitted during a Safety Car period. The crash caused a red flag.

Starting from round 12 at Portimão, Leclerc went on to take three consecutive top-5 finishes. At the rain-hit Turkish Grand Prix, Leclerc was running in third place after producing a comeback from 14th on the intermediate tyres. However, a mistake while attempting to pass Sergio Pérez for second on the final lap resulted in Leclerc running wide and losing the podium to teammate Vettel. The doubleheader in Bahrain was rather forgettable for Leclerc, who finished tenth in the first race and retired after a first-lap collision with Pérez in the second. At the final round in Abu Dhabi, both Ferraris lacked pace and finished outside the points, with Leclerc in 13th ahead of Vettel. Leclerc finished the championship in eighth, scoring 98 points.

Leclerc at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

At the beginning of the 2021 season, Leclerc extended his contract with Ferrari until the end of 2024. Leclerc had a new teammate at Ferrari for 2021 with Carlos Sainz Jr. replacing Sebastian Vettel, who signed for Aston Martin. Leclerc started the Bahrain Grand Prix in fourth behind Valtteri Bottas and finished sixth. He then started fourth and also finished fourth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix behind Lando Norris after struggling to keep his pace after the red flag at the middle of the race. He spent half of the race without a radio. Leclerc then finished sixth at the Portuguese Grand Prix which placed him fifth in the points standings, above his teammate Sainz, who finished 11th in the race. He qualified on pole for his home event - the Monaco Grand Prix despite crashing in the final part of qualifying but was unable to start the race due to suffering a driveshaft issue on his way to the grid. He qualified for back-to-back poles during Qualifying for the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix., later finishing fourth. At the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Leclerc qualified fourth but inherited the lead of the race on lap 1, passing Valtteri Bottas at the start and taking advantage of a collision between title rivals Verstappen and Hamilton. Leclerc held on to the lead of the race until 2 laps to go when he was ultimately caught and overtaken by Hamilton, finishing the race in second place and claiming his first and only podium of 2021.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Leclerc was hit from the side by Lance Stroll on turn 1 and did not finish. In Italy, Leclerc finished in fifth, promoted to fourth after Sergio Pérez's penalty. Leclerc took grid penalties in the 2021 Russian Grand Prix and started from 19th. He was in the top 5 at one point but fell to fifteenth by the end of the race after heavy rain fell and he was the last to pit for intermediate tyres. In Turkey, Leclerc would qualify fourth, but would start third after engine penalties for Lewis Hamilton. In Abu Dhabi, a decision to pit under a virtual safety car proved to be the wrong one as Leclerc failed to make up for the lost track position. This resulted in him finishing only tenth. Meanwhile, teammate Sainz finished third, moving him up to fifth in the drivers' standings and dropping Leclerc to seventh. This marked the first and only time Leclerc had been beaten by a teammate in his car racing career.

2022: Curtailed title battle vs. Verstappen

Leclerc at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix

Leclerc took pole in the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix, his tenth career F1 pole. He won the Grand Prix, his and Ferrari's first Formula 1 victory since 2019, battling closely with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen throughout the race. His Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. finished second for a Ferrari 1–2. Leclerc received 25 points, plus an additional 1 point for the fastest lap of the race, bringing his total to 26. The result meant he and Ferrari took the lead in the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship respectively. In doing so, he led the Formula One World Championship for the first time, and also became the first-ever Monégasque driver to lead the Formula One World Championship. After a second-place finish in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Leclerc took a dominant victory in the Australian Grand Prix, achieving his first grand slam in Formula One, and Ferrari's first since the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Leclerc led the race with a large margin until a power unit issue forced his retirement, handing Max Verstappen both the race victory and the World Championship lead. After taking pole position at his home race in the Monaco Grand Prix, Leclerc finished the race in 4th place due to strategical error and a wet track. The next race in Azerbaijan saw Leclerc retire from the lead yet again with a power unit failure, which put him at third in the drivers' standings behind Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. Leclerc started 19th for the Canadian Grand Prix due to a grid penalty for exceeding his allocation for power unit components; he went on to finish the race in fifth.

Leclerc celebrating on the podium after winning the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix

At the British Grand Prix, Leclerc finished fourth after losing out on pit strategy to his teammate. Leclerc then took first place at the Austrian Grand Prix. At the French Grand Prix he took pole position before crashing out of the race on lap 18, after making a mistake. At the Hungarian Grand Prix he qualified third behind his teammate but finished the race sixth after a strategic error made by Ferrari to place him on the hard compound tyres, despite other drivers such as Fernando Alonso losing significant lap time on them, Max Verstappen eventually took the win despite qualifying tenth and extended his lead in the Formula One World Championship to Leclerc by 80 points. After the summer break was the Belgian Grand Prix which saw Leclerc start in 15th place, behind Verstappen as both drivers took grid place penalties for the use of additional power unit and gearbox elements. Despite working his way through the grid well he had to pit eventually for mediums due to a tear-off in his brake ducts. The pitstop cost Leclerc a podium finish. In order to gain some more points in the Formula One World Championship he pitted for soft tyres, the fastest compound tyres, to get the fastest lap point but could not beat Verstappen's time of 1:49.354. Leclerc finished in 5th place in front of Fernando Alonso but suffered a 5-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, consequently finishing in 6th place. At the Dutch Grand Prix, he admitted that he had 'stopped counting' the points deficit to Verstappen. He started 2nd and finished 3rd after losing his second-place position to Mercedes' George Russell. Leclerc took pole position at Ferrari's home race in Italy at the Monza Circuit, but due to a team decision from Ferrari to pit under a Virtual safety car, he lost the race lead to Red Bull's Max Verstappen and took the checkered flag in second place due to the race ending under a safety car. Leclerc took pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix, he finished in second place to Red Bull's Sergio Pérez who had taken the lead at the first corner.

In the final race of the 2022 season, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Leclerc and Sergio Pérez faced off for second place in the Drivers' Championship tied at an even 290 points each. Despite starting the race in P3, one place behind Perez in P2, Leclerc overtook his competitor and held on to finish P2 in the race, securing both 2nd place in the Drivers' Championship for himself as well as 2nd in the Constructors' Championship for Ferrari.

2023

Leclerc ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix

During the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, the first race of 2023 Formula One World Championship, Leclerc's car suffered technical problems, forcing the driver to end the race prematurely during lap 41 while on course for a third-place finish. The following race, at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Leclerc took a ten-place grid penalty after a new set of control electronics was installed on his car in breach of the allowed quota for the season. Starting from 12th on the grid, Leclerc was able to recover to a seventh-place finish behind his teammate Carlos Sainz. Leclerc retired for the second time in three races following a lap 1 collision with Lance Stroll at the Australian Grand Prix. Leclerc scored his and Ferrari's first pole position of the 2023 season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, though he failed to convert it to a victory as Sergio Pérez took victory in both the sprint and main race. However, he was on the podium during both races.

In the Miami Grand Prix, Leclerc started seventh after crashing during Q3. He finished the race in the same position to cap off a frustrating weekend. In his home event the Monaco Grand Prix, he qualified third but started sixth after being given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lando Norris during Q3. In the race, he finished sixth. In Spain, he qualified nineteenth and started the race from the pitlane. He would go on to finish eleventh in the race. In Canada Leclerc qualified eleventh and started tenth. His team opted not to pit during a safety car which left Leclerc and Sainz in fourth and fifth position respectively. The gamble would pay off, with both drivers building enough of a gap to those behind them to make a pit stop and rejoin in the same positions. Leclerc would finished the race fourth, less than five seconds shy of third-placed Hamilton. In Austria he started behind Verstappen on the front-row. Leclerc meanwhile qualified sixth for the sprint before penalties were applied that dropped him down to ninth. Leclerc finished twelfth in the sprint. During the main race, Leclerc remained behind Verstappen for a majority of the race before Verstappen had his mandatory stop on lap 24, which Leclerc was able to capitalise upon. This allowed him to lead a race, his first since Azerbaijan. Over the next nine laps, Verstappen would close up to him and overtake him with DRS. Leclerc would finish second in the race.

Leclerc achieved his third podium finish of the season in the main race at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, after taking pole position in qualifying. He also achieved another pole position at the 2023 United States Grand Prix, however he finished 6th in the main race before being disqualified along with Lewis Hamilton due to their cars having excessive wear on their skid blocks. In the following race at Mexico City, Ferrari locked out the front row in qualifying with Leclerc starting on pole. However, in the first corner of the race, Leclerc and Pérez collided, ending the race of the latter. Nevertheless, Leclerc finished third.

The following weekend in São Paulo, Leclerc again qualified on the front row, behind polesitter Max Verstappen. He crashed out on the formation lap of the race after suffering a hydraulics issue at Ferradura, the same corner in which he crashed in the previous year's edition of the race.

He managed to secure fifth-place in the championship, although Sainz achieved Ferrari's only win of the year at the Singapore Grand Prix, marking the only non-Red Bull win of the 22-race season.

2024

Leclerc at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix

Ahead of the 2024 season, Leclerc opted to extend his contract with Ferrari. The length of the contract was not specified, although the press release published by Ferrari stated the deal would see Leclerc "wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come".

Leclerc finished fourth in the season opener after a battle with teammate Sainz. He achieved his first podium of the season in Jeddah while Ferrari junior and Formula 2 driver Oliver Bearman substituted for Sainz, the latter going into surgery due to appendicitis. Leclerc finished second in the Australian Grand Prix to teammate, Sainz to complete a Ferrari 1-2 finish, their first since Bahrain in 2022. Leclerc picked up his third and fourth podium of the season in Miami and Imola, finishing third on both occasions.

Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix, his home race, for the first time ever, from pole position. He became the first Monégasque to win the Monaco Grand Prix since Louis Chiron in 1931, and for the first time since the event became part of the Formula One World Championship. It was his sixth career win to date. At the following race in Canada, he and Sainz were both knocked out in Q2. Both drivers failed to finish for the first time this season, with Ferrari recording their first double retirement since the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

After a run of four disappointing races including finishing out of the points in Austria and Silverstone, Leclerc qualified 2nd at the Belgian Grand Prix but was promoted to pole position due to Max Verstappen getting a 10 place engine penalty. Leclerc would lose the lead to Lewis Hamilton on lap 2 and despite a decent drive he would finish 4th behind winner George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. However, after the race, Russell was disqualified for having an underweight car, promoting Leclerc to third which marked his first podium since his win at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Leclerc (middle-right) on the podium at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix alongside Max Verstappen (left) and Lando Norris (middle-left)

After salvaging a mediocre qualifying result by taking a podium at the Dutch Grand Prix having completed a one-stop strategy, Leclerc won the 2024 Italian Grand Prix after managing to complete a one-pit stop strategy for the race, marking Ferrari's first home win since Leclerc won in 2019. Leclerc qualified first at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and was leading the race during the first stint, but Piastri overtook him with the help of DRS and Leclerc ended the race in second place. In the Singapore Grand Prix, Leclerc secured 5th place behind Mercedes driver George Russell. The next race secured Leclerc's third win of the year in the United States Grand Prix after a dramatic fight between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen letting Leclerc through and securing a 1-2 finish for Ferrari in Austin. The Mexico City Grand Prix continued Ferrari's winning streak as they scored a 1-3 in Mexico with Leclerc finishing third. The next race in São Paulo was disappointing for Ferrari as Leclerc finished fifth but his teammate Sainz failed to finish due to his crash in the second sector.

2025

Leclerc will be partnered by seven-time World Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

Driver profile

Leclerc has a strong record of qualifying on pole positions, and currently holds the record for achieving the highest tally of pole positions without winning a World Championship. His driving style tends to favour a car with more oversteer and throughout his career his one lap pace has outperformed his race pace. He became the youngest recipient of the FIA pole position trophy for the most qualifying poles in the 2019 season.

Other ventures

Film and television

Leclerc made an appearance in the film Le Grand Rendez-vous, a remake of the 1976 French short film C'était un rendez-vous. Leclerc voiced a character in the Italian-language dubbed version of Pixar's Toy Story spin-off film Lightyear (2022).

Leclerc appeared in Charles Leclerc – Supersonique, a Canal+ documentary in November 2024, where he attempted an aeroplane stunt in a Dassault Rafale.

Philanthropy

In 2018, Leclerc was named Ambassador for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation [fr], helping to promote the benefits of learning to swim. In 2020, Leclerc assisted the Red Cross of Monaco, delivering meals and transporting hospital equipment amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Monaco. He also supported the Italian Red Cross fundraising campaigns, encouraging donations towards its relief efforts. In 2023, Leclerc auctioned off the helmet he wore at that year's Monaco Grand Prix, raising €306,000 for victims of the Emilia-Romagna floods.

Music

In April 2023, Leclerc released his debut piano-composed single "AUS23 (1:1)", whose title is a reference to Ferrari's internal name for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. His musical endeavours are managed by Verdigris Management.

Endorsements

In 2020, Leclerc became an endorsement model for Giorgio Armani. In April 2024, Leclerc launched an eponymous ice cream brand called LEC, a reference to his three-letter code on Formula One television graphics.

Awards and honours

Formula One

• Formula One World Drivers' Championship runner-up: 2022
• FIA Pole Trophy: 2019, 2022
• FIA Rookie of the Year: 2018
• Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2020
• Overtake Award: 2023

Other awards

• FIA Rookie of the Year: 2017
• Autosport Awards Rookie of the Year: 2017, 2018
• Confartigianato Motori Best Young Driver: 2018
• Confartigianato Motori Driver of the Year: 2020

Orders and special awards

•  Monaco
  • Medal of Honour (2020)

Karting record

Karting career summary

Racing record

Racing career summary

^† As Leclerc was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

See also

In Spanish: Charles Leclerc para niños