Charles Leclerc facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Leclerc
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Leclerc at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix
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Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc
16 October 1997 Monte Carlo, Monaco
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| Relatives |
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| Awards | Full list |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Monégasque |
| Car number | 16 |
| Entries | 154 (152 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Podiums | 44 |
| Career points | 1477 |
| Pole positions | 26 |
| Fastest laps | 10 |
| 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 | |
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| Championship titles | |
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| Signature | |
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Charles Leclerc (born 16 October 1997) is a racing driver from Monte Carlo, Monaco. He competes in Formula One for the Ferrari team. Leclerc was second in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2022. He has won eight races over eight seasons.
Charles started kart racing at age seven. He had a very successful karting career, winning the junior Karting World Cup in 2011. After that, he moved up to junior racing series. He finished second in the Alps Series in 2014. In 2015, he raced in FIA European Formula 3 and won several races. He won his first championship in the 2016 GP3 Series with ART. Then, he won the first-ever FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2017 with Prema. He was one of the few drivers to win this championship in their first year.
Leclerc joined Formula One in 2018 with Sauber. He scored points in several races. In 2019, he moved to Ferrari to race alongside Sebastian Vettel. He became one of the youngest drivers to get a pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix Grand Prix. Leclerc won his first Formula One race in Belgium. He then ended Ferrari's long wait for a win at the Italian Grand Prix Grand Prix. Italian media nicknamed him "il Predestinato", which means "the Predestined". After two years without wins for Ferrari, Leclerc won several races in 2022. He finished second in the World Drivers' Championship that year, behind Max Verstappen. In 2023, he had five pole positions and six podium finishes. In 2024, he won his home race, the Monaco Grand Prix Grand Prix. He was the first Monégasque driver to win it in 93 years. He also won races in Italy and the United States, finishing third in the championship.
As of the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix, Leclerc has won eight races, achieved 26 pole positions, 10 fastest laps, and 44 podiums in Formula One. He has a contract to stay with Ferrari until at least the end of the 2026 season. Outside of racing, Leclerc worked with pianist Sofiane Pamart on an album called Dreamers in 2024. It reached number two on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.
Contents
Early Life and Family
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Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc was born on 16 October 1997 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. His father, Hervé Leclerc, was also a racing driver in the 1980s and 1990s. His mother, Pascale Leclerc, used to be a hairdresser. Charles studied at the Lycée Albert Premier in Monaco-Ville.
His father passed away after a long illness in 2017. This happened just four days before Charles won a big race in Formula 2. Before his father died, Charles told him he had signed a Formula One contract for 2018, even though he hadn't yet. He signed with Sauber later that year. Charles's older half-brother, Lorenzo, was best friends with Jules Bianchi. Jules was Charles's godfather and helped him with kart racing until he passed away in 2015. Charles's younger brother, Arthur, is also a racing driver. Arthur won the Formula Regional Asian Championship in 2022.
Junior Racing Career
Karting (2005–2013)
Charles started karting at age five. He began racing competitively in 2005, winning many regional championships. He won the French Championship in 2009. That year, he also started working with Richard Mille, a company that supported him throughout his karting career.
In 2010, Charles started competing internationally. He became the youngest winner of the CIK-FIA Monaco Kart Cup. In 2011, he joined All Road Management, a company that helps young drivers. He won the Karting World Cup that year, which he called his "best karting race ever". He also won the Academy Trophy.
In 2012, Charles moved up to the senior KF2 karting class. He won the WSK Euro Series. He also finished second in the Karting European Championship and the under-18 Karting World Championship. He often raced against Max Verstappen during these years. In 2013, at age 15, Charles moved to the KZ class, which uses karts with gears. He won the South Garda Winter Cup. He finished second to Max Verstappen in the KZ World Championship. Charles said that racing against Verstappen helped him gain experience and build his character.
Formula Renault 2.0 (2014)
In 2014, Charles moved into junior formulae racing, joining Fortec in Formula Renault 2.0. He raced in the Alps Series. He got his first podium finish at the second race in Pau. He then won his first formula racing victories at Monza. He finished second overall in the Alps Series, behind Nyck de Vries. Charles also raced in some rounds of the Eurocup. He achieved three podium finishes in six races.
Formula Three (2015)
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In 2015, Charles moved up to Formula Three, racing in FIA European F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing. He won his first race at Silverstone. He won three more races and had many podium finishes. He even led the championship for a while. He finished fourth overall in his first season and won the rookies' championship. After his European F3 season, Charles competed in the Macau Grand Prix. He finished second in this important race.
GP3 Series (2016)
In 2016, Charles joined the Ferrari Driver Academy and signed with ART for the 2016 GP3 Series. He won his first race in Catalunya. He took pole position and won the first race at the Red Bull Ring. He had several more podium finishes throughout the season. Charles won the GP3 Series title in the final race at Yas Marina. He dedicated his win to his godfather, Jules Bianchi. He won three races and had eight podiums. Charles said this season was "amazing" and taught him how to handle pressure.
FIA Formula 2 (2017)
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After winning the GP3 title, Charles moved to FIA Formula 2 with Prema for its first season in 2017. He took pole position in his first race in Bahrain and finished third. In the sprint race, he made an unusual pit stop but still managed to win by overtaking many drivers. He won again from pole in Barcelona. He dedicated his pole position in Baku to his father, who had recently passed away. He won that race and finished second in the sprint. He also won the Spielberg feature race from pole.
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Charles continued to perform well, taking a record-equalling six poles in a row. He won the championship in Jerez, becoming one of the youngest champions in GP2/Formula 2 history at 19 years old. He won seven races and had 10 podiums, finishing 72 points ahead of the second-place driver. Charles was named FIA Rookie of the Year for his great performance in 2017.
Formula One Career
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In 2016, Charles joined the Ferrari Driver Academy. He also became a development driver for Haas and Ferrari. He took part in practice sessions for Haas at several Grands Prix. He also tested for Ferrari.
In 2017, Charles participated in more practice sessions with Sauber. He also tested for Ferrari again. Kimi Räikkönen, a famous Ferrari driver, praised Charles's performance, saying he would "do great things in the future".
Sauber (2018)
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Charles became a full-time Formula One driver for Sauber in 2018. He was the first driver from Monaco to race in Formula One since 1994. He finished sixth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Grand Prix, becoming the first Monégasque driver to score points since 1950. At his home race in Monaco, he had to retire due to a brake problem. He scored points in several other races. He had some crashes, but the halo device helped keep him safe. Charles finished 13th in the championship with 39 points. He was again named FIA Rookie of the Year.
Ferrari (2019–present)
2019: First Wins and "il Predestinato"
Charles joined Ferrari in 2019, racing alongside four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel. He got his first pole position in Bahrain, becoming the second-youngest driver to do so. He led most of the race but finished third due to an engine issue. He had several fifth-place finishes. At the Monaco Grand Prix Grand Prix, he started 16th due to a team mistake and had to retire. He finished third in Canada and France. At the Austrian Grand Prix Grand Prix, he started on pole but finished second after a close battle with Max Verstappen.
Charles took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix Grand Prix and won the race. He was the third-youngest Formula One winner at 21 years old. He dedicated his win to Anthoine Hubert, a young driver who passed away the day before. Charles then won the Italian Grand Prix Grand Prix from pole, becoming the first Ferrari winner at Monza since 2010. His wins earned him the nickname il Predestinato (the Predestined) in Italy. He had more pole positions and podiums. He finished fourth in the World Drivers' Championship with 264 points. He won the FIA Pole Trophy for having the most pole positions (seven) that year.
2020–2021: Challenging Seasons for Ferrari
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The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ferrari's car, the SF1000, struggled with performance. Charles finished third at the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix Grand Prix. In Styria, he collided with teammate Sebastian Vettel and both had to retire. Charles took full responsibility for the crash. He got another podium at the British Grand Prix Grand Prix. He finished eighth in the championship with two podiums and 98 points. Ferrari finished sixth in the team championship, their lowest since 1980.
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In 2021, Carlos Sainz Jr. became Charles's new teammate at Ferrari. Charles secured a surprise pole position at his home race in Monaco. However, he couldn't start the race due to a car problem. He got pole again in Azerbaijan but finished fourth. At the British Grand Prix Grand Prix, he led most of the race after a collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. He finished second, which was his only podium of the season. He finished seventh in the World Drivers' Championship with 159 points. This was the first time a teammate outscored him in his racing career.
2022: Title Challenge
New rules in 2022 helped Ferrari compete strongly with Red Bull. Charles took pole position at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix Grand Prix and won the race. This was his and Ferrari's first win since 2019. He became the first Monégasque driver to lead the World Drivers' Championship. He finished second in Saudi Arabia. Then, he won the Australian Grand Prix Grand Prix from pole, achieving his first grand slam (pole, win, fastest lap, led every lap). He had a 46-point lead over Verstappen.
However, he had some bad luck and mistakes. In Spain, he retired from the lead due to an engine problem, losing the championship lead to Verstappen. He took pole again in Monaco but finished fourth due to a strategy mistake in the rain. He retired from the lead again in Azerbaijan with another engine issue. He started 19th in Canada due to an engine penalty but climbed to fifth.
Charles won the Austrian Grand Prix Grand Prix after a battle with Verstappen. Ferrari then struggled to match Red Bull's performance. In France, Charles crashed out of the lead. In Hungary, a bad tire strategy by Ferrari dropped him to sixth. Verstappen won the championship early. Charles finished second in the World Drivers' Championship with 308 points. He had nine pole positions, three wins, and 11 podiums that season.
2023–2024: First Monaco Grand Prix Victory
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In 2023, Ferrari's car, the SF-23, struggled with race pace and tire wear. Charles retired from the first race in Bahrain due to a technical issue. He took pole position in Azerbaijan and finished third in the main race. He had a tough race in Spain, starting from the pit lane and finishing 11th. He qualified on the front row in Austria and led briefly. He took pole again in Belgium and finished third. He had another pole in Mexico City and finished third. He also got pole for the first-ever Las Vegas Grand Prix Grand Prix and finished second after a thrilling battle. He finished fifth in the World Drivers' Championship with 206 points. He achieved five pole positions and six podiums.
Before the 2024 season, Charles extended his contract with Ferrari. He finished fourth in Bahrain and third in Saudi Arabia. He helped Ferrari achieve a 1-2 finish in Australia, finishing second to his teammate Sainz. He then won his home race, the Monaco Grand Prix Grand Prix, from pole position. This was a historic win, as he was the first Monégasque driver to win it in the Formula One World Championship. He had to retire from the Canadian Grand Prix due to engine problems. He finished third in Belgium and Netherlands. Charles won the Italian Grand Prix Grand Prix, securing Ferrari's first home win since 2019. He also won the United States Grand Prix Grand Prix. He finished the season third in the championship with 356 points. He had three wins and 13 podiums.
2025: Partnership with Lewis Hamilton
Charles Leclerc is now partnered by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari for the 2025 season. Charles stated he was ready to win the championship. He finished eighth in the Australian Grand Prix and was disqualified from fifth in China. He finished fourth in Japan and Bahrain. He got his first podium of the season with a third-place finish in Saudi Arabia. He had a crash during the reconnaissance lap for the Miami sprint race. He finished sixth in Emilia Romagna after a late safety car. Ferrari showed better performance in Monaco, where Charles qualified and finished second. He also finished third in Spain and third again in Austria. He was critical of himself after losing pole position in Britain and finishing 14th due to a bad strategy in wet weather.
Driver Profile
Qualifying Speed
Charles Leclerc is known for his amazing speed in qualifying. He holds the record for the most pole positions without winning a World Championship (26). He also holds the record for most pole positions in a single season in FIA Formula 2 (8). His driving style works well with cars that can slide a bit, which helps him take corners very fast. He won the FIA Pole Trophy in 2019 and 2022 for getting the most pole positions. Experts often say he can make his car go faster in qualifying than it should.
His former teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., called Charles the best qualifier in Formula One. Many experts praise his ability to push the car to its limits and get incredible lap times, even when the car isn't perfect. They say his constant search for perfect laps could make him one of the greatest qualifiers ever.
Race Skills
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Charles is also known for his skill in close racing, where cars are side-by-side. After a tough battle with Max Verstappen in 2019, Charles said he would be more aggressive. In the next race, he had an amazing fight with Verstappen for third place. Both drivers pushed hard and avoided crashing. Charles called it "the most fun [he'd] had in [Formula One]". He was praised for defending his lead against Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix.
He received praise for his battle with Verstappen in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. Hamilton also praised Charles after their fight at the 2022 British Grand Prix. In 2024, experts highlighted his defensive driving and an overtake on George Russell in China. He was also praised for managing his tires well in the 2024 Italian Grand Prix. However, he has also been criticized for making mistakes that led to crashes in some races.
Helmet Design
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Charles's helmet is mostly red with a Monégasque flag stripe. The words "Papa" and "Jules" are written on the side to remember his father, Hervé Leclerc, and his godfather, Jules Bianchi. He wore a special helmet to honor Bianchi at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix. He also wore a tribute helmet for Sebastian Vettel in their last race as teammates in 2020.
Other Activities
Film and Television
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In 2020, Charles starred in a short film called Le Grand Rendez-vous. He drove a Ferrari car around the Circuit de Monaco. He also did voice acting for the Italian version of the Pixar movie Lightyear in 2022. In 2024, Charles appeared in a documentary where he tried flying aerobatics in a French Air Force jet.
Music
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Charles started playing the piano at age six. He became very serious about it during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In April 2023, he released his first piano song, "AUS23 (1:1)". He released more songs for other races. In February 2024, he released his first album, Dreamers, with French pianist Sofiane Pamart. It reached number two on the Billboard Classical Albums chart. Charles said that when he's not racing, music is what he loves. In February 2025, he released two more songs, "MC24 / SIN24".
Endorsements
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Charles has worked with the Swiss watch company Richard Mille since 2009. He also has partnerships with Bell Helmets, Giorgio Armani, APM Monaco, Bang & Olufsen, Celsius Holdings, and Puma. In 2019, he launched his own go-kart brand. In April 2024, Charles launched his own ice cream brand called LEC.
Charity Work
Charles became an ambassador for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in 2018. He helps promote learning to swim. In April 2020, he won an online racing championship that raised over $70,000 for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. He also helped the Red Cross of Monaco by delivering meals and hospital equipment during the pandemic. Charles auctioned his racing gear from the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, raising €368,800 for victims of floods in Italy.
Personal Life
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Charles can speak three languages: French, Italian, and English. Outside of racing, he enjoys architecture, music, and fashion. He chose 16 as his racing number because the digits (1+6) add up to his lucky number, seven. Also, his birthday is on October 16. His first choices for numbers, seven and 10, were already taken. From 2019 to 2022, Charles was in a relationship with Charlotte Siné. Since 2023, he has been in a relationship with Alexandra Saint Mleux.
Charles was a torchbearer for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Monaco. In 2024, he bought a condominium in Miami. He owns several Ferrari cars, including special versions.
Awards and Honours
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Formula One
- Formula One World Drivers' Championship runner-up: 2022
- FIA Pole Trophy: 2019
- 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 Driver of the Year: 2020
- Confartigianato Motori Best Young Driver: 2018
Special Awards
Monaco
Medal of Honour (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Charles Leclerc para niños
