Since Charles Leclerc became a Ferrari driver in 2019, he has been described as a great talent and predicted to win the world championship. It should be remembered here that he was the youngest driver contracted by the Italian team since 1961. At first glance, Leclerc’s story resembles a fairy tale – immense talent, a legendary team, and crowds of fans. However, delving into his biography, we learn that each of these stories has its dark side.
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Even before Charles joined Formula 1, real dramas unfolded in his life. In July 2015, his friend, godfather, and idol – Jules Bianchi – passed away. It was on the track of Jules’ father that Charles took his first ‘steps’ as a karting driver, and it was to him that Leclerc dedicated his victory in the GP3 series in 2015. In June 2017, his father – Hervé Leclerc – passed away while Charles was racing in Baku in a Formula 2 race. It was his father who first took a barely four-year-old Charles to a go-kart track, and in the following years, he was a huge support and his biggest fan. The loss of such important people and mentors was a powerful blow to the young driver, who, however, did not intend to give up. For many, such an experience would mean the end of a career and a burden that remains for life. For Leclerc, however, it became something more – a source of drive and motivation to dedicate what he does to those who supported him from the beginning. And in that same year (2017), he won the F2 championship, which he dedicated to his father.
Beginnings in Formula 1
In 2018, the Monegasque’s career in Formula 1 began when he officially debuted with the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. Even then, he scored points quite regularly, but the lack of a competitive car did not allow him to take podium positions. A key moment of the season, also in the context of Leclerc’s history, was the race in Belgium. For context, I will once again recall the figure of Jules Bianchi, who died due to a very serious condition after an accident at the Suzuka circuit. After this tragedy, the Formula 1 authorities decided to introduce the Halo system to the cars – a hoop over the driver’s head intended to protect it from injuries. During the 2018 Belgian GP, contact occurred between Hulkenberg and Alonso at the very first corner of the race. The latter flew into the air, and the wheels of his car fell onto Leclerc’s car. If it weren’t for the Halo, which was criticized by everyone at the time, the story I am describing would have ended at that event. Undoubtedly, it was one of those moments where the past meets the present in the most brutal way – a tragedy that took a friend, years later saved a life.
First years at Ferrari
The year 2019 was crucial for Charles, when he was contracted as a Ferrari driver, allowing him to unleash his full potential. Already in his second weekend in Scuderia colors in Bahrain, he won his first career pole position, and a few months later, he became the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix. What is particularly significant is the fact that the race took place after the tragic death of Antoine Hubert, Charles’s friend, to whom he dedicated the victory. The Monegasque once again proved that when getting into the car, he can distance himself from the tragic moments taking place in his life and drive a phenomenal race. In a place where many would give up, he proves how much previous experiences have influenced the driver he is.
However, the real breakthrough turned out to be the next race and the victory at the Italian Monza. For the tifosi, it was a clear sign – we have a driver who will fight for the title. Ultimately, he finished his debut season with the Ferrari team in fourth place in the drivers’ standings, pouring hope into the hearts of fans. And just when it seemed that Ferrari finally had a driver worthy of the world champion title, problems appeared in almost every season, repeatedly making life difficult for the Monegasque.
Leclerc has repeatedly proven that even with a weak and uncompetitive car, he is able to take positions at the front and even on the podium. Very often, however, his struggles ended due to problems with the car: a broken gearbox, engine problems, lack of pace, or a wrong strategy chosen by the team.
Unfulfilled hopes of fighting for the world championship
Real hope was awakened by the 2022 season, which began almost like a dream for the Italian team – a double podium in the first race and Leclerc taking the lead in the drivers’ standings. Regularly winning qualifying and races, after the Australian Grand Prix he had a 34-point lead over second-placed George Russell. However, here too, the idyll was interrupted by numerous problems with the car, the power unit, or a wrong race strategy. A very good example is the famous incident from the Monaco GP – calling for and then canceling a pit stop when Leclerc was already in the pit lane, which caused him to lose the lead of the race. Ultimately, he finished the season in second place, but as many as 146 points behind Max Verstappen.
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The next season was bittersweet for the Monegasque from the start. Numerous pole positions were mixed with finishing races in distant positions or finishing them before seeing the checkered flag. When he began his career at Ferrari, many bet that the combination of great talent and the legendary team’s car would quickly bring the desired title. No one suspected then that good moments would be interspersed with very bad ones, and in Leclerc’s case, this can already be considered a pattern. This makes every lofty moment of his career fragile, and the hopes of fans are stifled quite quickly.
From the 2024 season, it is noteworthy that after years he managed to win the Monaco GP – his home race – which is assessed by the driver himself as the most important moment in his career. It was this race that most showed Charles’s strength, as he did not give up in the fight for his dreams after having to face the loss of his father and friends. Monaco represented for him the fulfillment of the most important goal, which in previous years had always been within reach. Only more luck was missing, because every time something went wrong – from a crash in qualifying, a broken gearbox at pole position, to the already mentioned ‘false’ pit stop while leading. And finally, after years, he is the first to cross the finish line. In numerous interviews, he emphasized that on the last lap he was thinking about his father, and his eyes were misty.
In the same season, he achieved another important victory in the Grand Prix held at the Italian Monza. In total, in 2024, he won three times and stood on the podium thirteen times. So far, it was the best season of the Monegasque’s career. It is also worth adding here that until the end of the season, Ferrari fought with McLaren for the world constructors’ championship. However, Lando Norris’s victory in the last race in Abu Dhabi secured this trophy for the Woking team.
Ferrari fans would most likely like to forget about 2025 as quickly as possible. The team recorded two double DNFs and did not achieve a single victory. In the constructors’ standings, they were even overtaken by the Red Bull team, and it wouldn’t be strange if it weren’t for the fact that over 90% of the points were scored by Max Verstappen himself. During post-race interviews, an increasing resignation and helplessness could be observed in the Monegasque, who was unable to find a solution to such large problems for Scuderia. Despite the fact that the Italian team’s car was described by many internet users as a ‘tractor’, Charles stood on the podium seven times. Additionally, in the last race in Abu Dhabi, it was he who could decide that the drivers’ world championship would rest in Verstappen’s hands for the fifth time, because throughout the race he did not let Lando Norris ‘out of his sight’.
Hope for greater successes for Leclerc
In the tests before the 2026 season, Scuderia Ferrari performed very well, and on the last day in Bahrain, Charles Leclerc clearly pulled away from all rivals. It was no different during practice in Australia – Leclerc was the fastest in FP1. Additionally, many rumors are circulating in the media regarding the Italian team’s innovative solutions, which are supposed to guarantee them an advantage over rivals. This was partially confirmed already in the first races. In the Australian GP, Charles showed off an impressive start and treated fans to an exciting duel with George Russell. However, he finished the race on the third step of the podium, again due to a wrongly adopted strategy by Ferrari – they did not pit during the safety car. In China, the pace of the Scuderia drivers was also good, but clearly slower than the dominant Mercedes.
Charles’s story is not a fairy tale about a prince on a ‘black’ horse or in a red car, who heads for the desired crown without obstacles. It is a story about a driver who, despite numerous dramas, the loss of loved ones, or Ferrari’s questionable form in recent years, did not break, and even proves that you have to fight for your dreams. Because if Ferrari finally provides him with a car capable of fighting for the title, only one question will remain – whether this time fate will let him win.
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The author of the article is Aleksandra Binkowska, you can find her on TikTok – link.
