History of Charles Leclerc in Timeline

Charles Leclerc is a Monégasque racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Ferrari. He achieved second place in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2022. Over his eight seasons in the sport, Leclerc has secured eight Grand Prix victories, establishing himself as a prominent figure in modern Formula One racing.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1931: First Monégasque driver to win since 1931

In 2024, Leclerc became the first Monégasque driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix since Louis Chiron in 1931.

1950: First Monégasque Driver to Score Points Since 1950

In 2018, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Leclerc became the first Monégasque driver to score points in Formula One since Louis Chiron in 1950.

1980: Ferrari's Lowest Since 1980

In 2020, Ferrari finished sixth in the World Constructors' Championship, their lowest since 1980.

1994: First Monégasque Driver Since 1994

In 2018, with his debut at the Australian Grand Prix, Leclerc became the first Monégasque driver to compete in Formula One since Olivier Beretta in 1994.

1996: Racing mentality

The 1996 World Drivers' Champion, Damon Hill, described Leclerc's racing mentality as "win or bust".

October 1997: Birth of Charles Leclerc

Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc was born in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on October 16, 1997. His father was a racing driver, and his mother operated a hair salon.

Others born on this day/year

October 1997: Charles Leclerc Born

Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc was born in October 1997. He would become a Monégasque racing driver competing in Formula One for Ferrari.

Others born on this day/year

2005: Start of competitive karting career

In 2005, Charles Leclerc began his competitive karting career, winning the regional PACA championship in the Mini class with 15 wins from 18 races.

2006: Defense of PACA Championship

In 2006, Charles Leclerc successfully defended his regional PACA championship in the Mini class.

2007: Advancement to Minime Class

In 2007, Charles Leclerc advanced to the Minime class, winning the Trophée Claude Secq and finishing runner-up at the PACA championship.

2009: Titles in Cadet Class

In 2009, Charles Leclerc, progressing to the Cadet class, won the French Championship and Bridgestone Cup, along with the regional Rhône-Alpes title. He partnered with Richard Mille who supported him through his karting career.

2010: International Competition and Monaco Kart Cup Win

In 2010, Charles Leclerc entered international competition in the junior KF3 class, becoming the youngest winner of the CIK-FIA Monaco Kart Cup.

2010: First Ferrari Winner at Monza Since 2010

In 2019, Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix from pole, becoming the first Ferrari winner at Monza since Fernando Alonso in 2010.

2011: Joins All Road Management and Wins World Cup

In 2011, Charles Leclerc was scouted by Nicolas Todt and joined his All Road Management firm, winning the World Cup at Sarno. He also won the Academy Trophy and the Masters of Paris-Bercy and finished runner-up in the WSK Final Cup.

2011: Victory at the junior direct-drive Karting World Cup

In 2011, Charles Leclerc's successful karting career culminated in his victory at the junior direct-drive Karting World Cup.

2012: Senior KF2 Category and WSK Euro Series Win

In 2012, Charles Leclerc graduated to the senior KF2 category with ART Grand Prix, winning the WSK Euro Series. He was involved in an incident with Max Verstappen. He finished runner-up in the European Championship and at the under-18 World Championship, and fifth in the World Cup and WSK Final Cup.

2013: KZ Senior Gearbox Class

In 2013, at age 15, Charles Leclerc progressed to the KZ senior gearbox class. He won the South Garda Winter Cup in KZ2, finished sixth in the European Championship, and was runner-up in the KZ World Championship to Max Verstappen.

2014: Debut in Formula Renault 2.0

In 2014, at age 16, Charles Leclerc graduated to junior formulae, signing for Fortec in Formula Renault 2.0. He debuted in the Alps Series, achieving his maiden podium finish in the second race at Pau and scoring his maiden victories at Monza. He finished runner-up to Nyck de Vries.

December 2015: GP3 Testing

In December 2015, Charles Leclerc participated in post-season GP3 testing with ART and Arden.

2015: FIA European F3

In 2015, Charles Leclerc contested FIA European F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing. He got his maiden victory and three consecutive podiums at the Hockenheimring. Leclerc claimed an additional three consecutive podiums at the Hockenheimring, winning the rain-affected third race after overtaking Rosenqvist.

2015: Graduation to FIA European Formula 3

In 2015, Charles Leclerc graduated to FIA European Formula 3, winning several races and finishing fourth in his rookie season.

2015: Death of Jules Bianchi

In 2015, Jules Bianchi, Leclerc's godfather and his mechanic in kart racing, passed away.

2016: Joining Ferrari Driver Academy and Testing Debut

In 2016, Charles Leclerc joined the Ferrari Driver Academy and became a development driver for Haas and Ferrari. He debuted at Fiorano driving the Ferrari F14 T and participated in free practice sessions at the British, Hungarian, German, and Brazilian Grands Prix. He completed his first official test for Ferrari at Silverstone in the SF16-H.

2016: GP3 Series

In 2016, Charles Leclerc signed with ART for the GP3 Series and joined the Ferrari Driver Academy. He qualified third at Catalunya before winning his debut race. He took pole position and led the first race from lights-to-flag at the Red Bull Ring.

2016: GP3 Series Championship Win

In 2016, Charles Leclerc won his first championship at the GP3 Series with ART.

2017: Championship win

Charles Leclerc achieved a record-equalling sixth consecutive pole at Silverstone, winning the feature race amidst reliability issues in 2017. He won the championship.

2017: FIA Formula 2 with Prema

In 2017, Charles Leclerc progressed to FIA Formula 2 with Prema. Debuting at Sakhir, Leclerc took pole position and finished third in the feature race, then won the sprint race. He won his first feature in Barcelona, and dedicated his pole in Baku to his recently deceased father. He won the Spielberg feature from pole.

2017: FIA Formula 2 Championship Win

In 2017, Charles Leclerc won the inaugural FIA Formula 2 Championship with Prema, becoming the fourth driver to win the GP2/Formula 2 championship in their rookie season and breaking several records.

2017: Death of Hervé Leclerc and Baku Victory

In 2017, Hervé, Charles Leclerc's father, died four days before Leclerc won the feature race at the Baku Formula 2 round. Leclerc had told his father he'd signed a Formula One contract, which he signed later that year.

2017: Mid-Season Test with Ferrari

In 2017, Leclerc participated in the mid-season test at the Hungaroring with Ferrari, driving the SF70H, completing 98 laps, and setting the fastest lap on the first day. Kimi Räikkönen praised his performance. Leclerc also completed free practice sessions with Sauber at the Malaysian, United States, Mexican, and Brazilian Grands Prix.

2018: Sauber Formula One Contract

Charles Leclerc signed a Formula One contract with Sauber in 2018, fulfilling the lie he told his father before his death.

2018: Formula One Debut with Sauber

In 2018, Charles Leclerc made his Formula One debut with Sauber as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, scoring several points finishes in the C37.

2018: Formula One Debut and Scoring Points

In 2018, Leclerc debuted in Formula One for Sauber at the Australian Grand Prix, finishing thirteenth. At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he finished sixth, becoming the first Monégasque driver to score points in Formula One since 1950. At his first home Grand Prix in Monaco, Leclerc suffered a brake failure and retired. He finished the season with 39 points, earning the FIA Rookie of the Year award.

2018: Signing with Sauber

In 2018, Leclerc signed with Sauber as a full-time driver.

2018: Post-Season Test with Ferrari

In 2019, Leclerc entered the 2018 post-season test with Ferrari at Yas Marina, setting the fastest time in the SF71H.

2019: Joins Ferrari and Maiden Win in Belgium

In 2019, Charles Leclerc joined Ferrari, partnered with Sebastian Vettel, became the second-youngest polesitter at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and took his maiden career win in Belgium.

2019: Contest for third

In 2019, Leclerc beat Verstappen in a hard-fought contest for third. Leclerc declared it "the most fun [he'd] had in [Formula One]", whilst Verstappen added "I think he was a little bit sore still from Austria so he was defending really hard, but it's fine, I'm all for that".

2019: Youngest Recipient of FIA Pole Trophy in 2019

In 2019, Leclerc became the youngest recipient of the FIA Pole Trophy for achieving the most pole positions.

2019: Signing with Ferrari and Maiden Pole Position

In 2019, Leclerc signed with Ferrari to partner Sebastian Vettel. At the Bahrain Grand Prix, Leclerc secured his maiden pole position to become the second-youngest polesitter in Formula One history. He finished third after an engine issue, securing his first podium. At the Monaco Grand Prix, he qualified sixteenth and suffered a race-ending tyre puncture.

2019: First Pole Since 2019

In 2021, Leclerc secured a surprise pole position at his home Grand Prix in Monaco—his first since the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix.

2019: Ferrari's first home win since 2019

Leclerc received widespread acclaim for his surprise victory at the Italian Grand Prix, completing a one-stop strategy to secure Ferrari's first home win since 2019.

2019: Collision

Leclerc was penalised for causing a collision with Verstappen at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix.

2019: Tribute Helmet at 2019 Monaco Grand Prix

Leclerc wore a full tribute helmet to both his father and Jules Bianchi at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix.

2020: Winless Season for Ferrari

In 2020, Charles Leclerc experienced a winless season with Ferrari.

2020: Seventh-Fastest F1 Driver of All Time in 2020

In 2020, a study by Amazon Web Services listed Leclerc as the seventh-fastest Formula One driver of all time.

2020: COVID-19 Pandemic, Podium Finish, and Controversy

In 2020, the season was delayed and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leclerc finished third at the Austrian Grand Prix. He was investigated for allegedly breaching COVID-19 safety protocols. He secured another podium at the British Grand Prix. Leclerc faced allegations of racism for opting not to take the knee, which he addressed. He finished the season eighth in the standings.

2020: Mistakes

Leclerc has also been criticised for race-ending mistakes throughout his early seasons in Formula One, particularly at the 2020 Italian, 2020 Sakhir, and 2022 French Grands Prix.

2020: Tribute Helmet for Vettel at 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Leclerc wore a tribute helmet for Sebastian Vettel at the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, their final race as teammates.

2021: First-corner overtake

In 2021 Leclerc was praised for his first-corner overtake on Bottas at the Spanish Grand Prix, with Jonathan Noble of Motorsport.com describing the move as "sensational".

2021: Another Winless Season for Ferrari

In 2021, Charles Leclerc experienced another winless season with Ferrari.

2021: Partnering with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Racing Season

In 2021, Leclerc was partnered with Carlos Sainz Jr. at Ferrari. He secured pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix but was unable to start the race. He claimed his sole podium of the season at the British Grand Prix, finishing second. Leclerc finished seventh in the World Drivers' Championship with 159 points.

2021: Acclaimed as Best Qualifier in Formula One in 2021

In 2021, after Leclerc's back-to-back poles at the Monaco and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, then-teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. proclaimed Leclerc as the best qualifier in Formula One.

2022: Contract Run Until 2022

In 2019, then-team principal Maurizio Arrivabene stated that Leclerc's contract with Ferrari would run until 2022.

2022: Battle with Verstappen

In 2022 Leclerc received acclaim for his battle with Verstappen at the Bahrain Grand Prix, noted for his effective use of the drag reduction system. He was praised by Hamilton after their battle at the 2022 British Grand Prix, where Leclerc overtook him around the outside of Copse on older tyres.

2022: Arthur Leclerc's Formula Regional Asian Championship Win

In 2022, Arthur Leclerc, Charles's younger brother, won the Formula Regional Asian Championship.

2022: Runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship

In 2022, Charles Leclerc finished as runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship while driving for Ferrari.

2022: Runner-up in World Drivers' Championship

In 2022, Charles Leclerc took several victories and finished runner-up to Max Verstappen in the World Drivers' Championship.

2022: Praised for Precision and Speed at the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

In 2022, Laurence Edmondson of ESPN praised Leclerc's pole lap at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for his "pinpoint precision and masterful speed", noting his ability to extract fast laps under pressure.

2022: Victory in Bahrain and Championship Lead

In 2022, Leclerc won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, marking his and Ferrari's first victory since 2019. The result saw him become the first Monégasque driver to lead the World Drivers' Championship.

2022: First Ferrari 1-2 finish since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix in Australia

In 2024, the Ferrari team achieved their first 1-2 finish since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix in Australia.

2022: Repeated FIA Pole Trophy win in 2022

Leclerc repeated his feat and won the FIA Pole Trophy again in 2022.

2023: Five Pole Positions and Six Podiums

In 2023, Charles Leclerc had five pole positions and six podiums.

2023: Acclaimed as Fastest Qualifier of All Time in 2023

In 2023, Karun Chandhok acclaimed Leclerc as the fastest qualifier of all time, and Martin Brundle opined he was the fastest amongst the 2023 drivers.

2023: Controversy Over Gilles Villeneuve Design in 2023

In 2023, controversy arose over Leclerc's Gilles Villeneuve helmet design for the Canadian Grand Prix, but Jacques Villeneuve permitted it after talking to Leclerc.

2023: 2023 Season Summary

Throughout 2023, Ferrari faced challenges with race pace and tyre management. Leclerc achieved five pole positions and six podiums, ultimately finishing fifth in the World Drivers' Championship. Key moments included pole positions in Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Belgium, the United States, and Mexico City. He also had a notable second-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and faced disqualification at the United States Grand Prix due to skid block wear. Leclerc ended the season with 206 points, tying with Fernando Alonso.

February 2024: Release of Dreamers EP

In February 2024, Charles Leclerc released his debut extended play, Dreamers, alongside French pianist Sofiane Pamart, which achieved success on the Billboard Classical Albums chart and the Classical Crossover Albums chart, and also charted in Germany and Switzerland.

April 2024: Launch of LEC ice cream brand

In April 2024, Charles Leclerc launched his own ice cream brand called LEC, referencing his Formula One code on television graphics.

November 2024: Appearance in Charles Leclerc – Supersonique documentary

In November 2024, Charles Leclerc appeared in the Canal+ documentary Charles Leclerc – Supersonique, where he trained with the French Air and Space Force at Saint-Dizier – Robinson Air Base, enduring a 9 g manoeuvre and an aerial refuelling mission.

2024: Racecraft after the 2024 season

Alex Kalinauckas of Autosport lauded Leclerc's racecraft after the 2024 season, highlighting several instances of his defensive driving against faster machinery, as well as an overtake on George Russell at the Chinese Grand Prix.

2024: Contract Extended Until End of 2024

In 2019, Leclerc extended his Ferrari contract until the end of 2024.

2024: G. Bortoleto Champion

In 2024 G. Bortoleto became champion.

2024: Torchbearer and Miami Condominium Purchase

In 2024, Charles Leclerc served as a torchbearer for the Monégasque leg ahead of the Summer Olympics and purchased a US$3.1 million condominium in Miami.

2024: Monaco Grand Prix Win

In 2024, Charles Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix, becoming the first Monégasque driver to win the race in 93 years. He had further victories in Italy and the United States and finished third in the championship.

2024: 2024 Season Summary

In 2024, Leclerc extended his contract with Ferrari. He achieved Ferrari's first 1-2 finish since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix in Australia, finishing second to Sainz. Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time, making him the first Monégasque driver to win since 1931. He finished third in the championship with 356 points and had a very strong second half of the season.

2024: Tribute to Jules Bianchi at 2024 Japanese Grand Prix and tribute to Sainz Jr. at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

In 2024, Leclerc paid tribute to Bianchi at the Japanese Grand Prix and for departing teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

2024: Collaboration with Sofiane Pamart on "Dreamers"

In 2024, outside of motor racing, Charles Leclerc collaborated with pianist Sofiane Pamart on the extended play Dreamers, which peaked at number two on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.

February 2025: Release of "MC24 / SIN24" single

In February 2025, Charles Leclerc released a two-sided single titled "MC24 / SIN24", featuring compositions from the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix in 2024.

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2025: Achievements as of the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix

As of the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc has achieved eight race wins, 10 fastest laps, and 50 podiums in Formula One; he also holds the record for the most pole positions without a World Drivers' Championship (27).

2025: 2025 Season

In 2025, Leclerc is partnered by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. He faced strategic errors, disqualifications, and performance concerns throughout the season. Despite these challenges, he achieved a podium finish in Saudi Arabia and showed strong performances in several races. However, incidents like aquaplaning in Miami and a collision in the Dutch Grand Prix impacted his results. Leclerc finished third in the Grand Prix in a race-long battle for second with Lando Norris.

2025: Penalized for Collision

Leclerc was penalised for causing a collision with Verstappen at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix and for erratically defending from Russell at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.