Charles Leclerc has been a Formula 1 driver since 2018, when he entered the sport with Sauber, and has driven for the Scuderia Ferrari since 2019. He’s often tipped as the hope for Ferrari winning another drivers’ title, the first for the team since 2007.
Who is Charles Leclerc? An In-Depth Look
An eight-time race-winner in Formula 1, Charles Leclerc has had a solid career, although he has missed on winning a drivers’ title so far.
Throughout his Formula 1 career, Leclerc has shown his skills and speed, achieving 26 pole positions and 43 podiums in 149 race starts.
From Karting Prodigy to Formula Racing
Charles Leclerc’s racing career started when he was five years old. Leclerc’s father was a former racing driver.
Leclerc’s successes in his karting career started early, with him winning the PACA title in dominant fashion in 2005. In 2009, the Monegasque driver won the French karting championship.
Later on, he joined Nicolas Todt’s management firm and his skills helped his career to take off.
Between 2012 and 2013, Leclerc was involved in great karting battles with future F1 World Champion Max Verstappen.
Climbing the Ranks: Formula Renault, GP3, and F2
Leclerc’s junior formulae career started at the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps with Fortec Motorsports, also participating in the 2014 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 with the same team. In the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps, Leclerc won two races and finished second in the standings, behind Nyck De Vries, but first among rookies.
In 2015, Leclerc competed in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing, winning four races and finishing fourth in the standings. That same year, he finished second in the Macau Grand Prix.
Leclerc’s rise continued in 2016, with the Monegasque winning the GP3 Series championship with ART, winning three races, after joining the Ferrari Driver Academy, just like his godfather Jules Bianchi did years prior. He followed that success with a triumphant debut campaign in the 2017 FIA Formula 2 Championship with Prema.
Charles Leclerc’s Journey to Ferrari: A Dream Realized
Leclerc had joined the FDA in 2016, and he made his Formula 1 debut in 2018 with a Ferrari-powered Sauber car.
Sauber: The First Taste of Formula 1
Charles Leclerc’s Formula 1 career started with Sauber in 2018, with the Monegasque showing his skills that year. He scored his first points at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing sixth in his fourth F1 race.
Overall, he scored 39 of Sauber’s 48 points throughout 2018.
The Call from Maranello: Joining the Scuderia
On September, 2018, Ferrari announced that Kimi Raikkonen would be leaving the team and would be replaced for the 2019 F1 season with Charles Leclerc.
The Monegasque was set to be Sebastian Vettel’s teammate, which was a big challenge in his young career. However, the Monegasque performed well and achieved his first Pole Position in only his second race.
Eventually, Leclerc achieved an elusive first win at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, which was an emotional one after his friend Anthoine Hubert had died in an F2 crash a day before the race.
Leclerc then won the 2019 Italian Grand Prix and quickly became a beloved figure for the Tifosi.
Key Stats and Achievements of Charles Leclerc
After winning two races in his first year with Ferrari and finishing ahead of his experienced teammate, whose relationship with the team had derailed, Leclerc spent two seasons without a win and only three podiums between 2020 and 2021.
Race Wins and Podium Finishes
Leclerc has won eight races in his Formula 1 career:
- 2019 Belgian GP
- 2019 Italian GP
- 2022 Bahrain GP
- 2022 Australian GP
- 2022 Austrian GP
- 2024 Monaco GP
- 2024 Italian GP
- 2024 USA GP
Pole Positions and Lap Records
Leclerc achieved his first Pole Position in the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix and has recorded 25 Pole Positions in his career. All those came with Ferrari, putting him second in the team0s history behind Michael Schumacher’s 58 Pole Positions.
In terms of Fastest Laps, Leclerc has achieved 10 in his F1 career.
Charles Leclerc’s Performance at Ferrari: Highs and Lows
Leclerc has finished in the Top 3 in the World Drivers’ Championship with the Scuderia Ferrari twice, in 2022 and 2024.
His best finish in the WDC came in 2022, when he finished second, although a long way behind champion Max Verstappen.
Memorable Victories
Leclerc’s most memorable victories in his racing career came in the 2017 F2 race at Azerbaijan, which he won only three days after his father died.
Moreover, he has two wins in Ferrari’s home race at Monza (2019 and 2024).
In his home race, at Monaco, Leclerc had what many fans called a ‘curse.’
However, the Monegasque won his home race in 2024, becoming only the second Monegasque to win the Monaco GP (Louis Chiron did it in 1931) and the only one to do it in the F1 World Championship.
Charles Leclerc’s Car: The Ferrari He Drives
Currently, Leclerc is driving the Ferrari SF-25 alongside his teammate, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Technical Specifications
The car has a 1.6-litre turbo-charged V6 hybrid engine, named the Ferrari 066/12.
Charles Leclerc’s Helmets: A Reflection of His Personality
Charles Leclerc has worn some great F1 helmet designs throughout his career. At first, he wore a black helmet with white and red details. However, he’s most recently changed for a red helmet, which looks great with his Ferrari car.
He’s had some impressive designs, such as the one he wore in the 2020 Tuscan GP to celebrate Ferrari’s 1000th F1 race.
Meaning Behind the Colors and Symbols
Leclerc’s helmets have included the Monaco flag as the main feature of the design, while also including messages to Jules Bianchi and his father.
Moreover, Leclerc’s racing number (16) has usually been present on the sides of the designs, and his logo at the back.
Building a Legacy at Ferrari
Ferrari has not won a World Drivers’ Championship since 2007 and last won the World Constructors’ Championship in 2008. All that happened in the first two seasons after Michael Schumacher left the team.
Ever since then, Ferrari has failed to replicate that success, although the team has won races and has fought for championships against the dominant teams of the last decade and a half: Red Bull and Mercedes.
Leclerc is looking to change that, and he’ll definitely fight to fulfill his promise as ‘Il Predestinato’ for Ferrari.
Explore Our Collection of Charles Leclerc Helmet Replicas
You can check our entire collection of Charles Leclerc’s Formula 1 helmets by clicking here.
How many wins does Charles Leclerc have in F1?
Charles Leclerc has won eight races in his F1 career, all with Ferrari.
What team is Charles Leclerc on?
Charles Leclerc has been a Ferrari F1 driver since 2019.
How old was Charles Leclerc when he started F1?
Charles Leclerc made his F1 debut at 20 years old in 2018, with Sauber.
