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Monegasque Charles Leclerc is Ferrari\’s star driver, on whom all the Scuderia\’s hopes are pinned to win a world championship more than 15 years after the last one won by the historic Italian team.
With 5 wins, 24 podiums, 18 pole positions, and 7 fastest laps, Leclerc has established himself as one of the most talented drivers of the new generation of young drivers who are succeeding old legends such as Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton.
Leclerc made his Formula 1 debut in 2018 with the midfield team Alfa Romeo Sauber, and after a year full of good performances he was promoted to Ferrari in 2019 to replace Raikkonen. It was an unusual decision, as Ferrari does not usually hire such young drivers, but at the Scuderia, they knew of the great talent of the Monegasque.
Since then, he has not stopped impressing, taking the lead of the team. Without further ado, let\’s take a look at some of the best moments he has left us.
1. First Points In F1 – 2018 Azerbaijan GP
After winning Formula 2 in 2017, Charles Leclerc made his Formula 1 debut in 2018 with the Alfa Romeo Sauber team. After failing to score in the first 3 races of the season, unlike his teammate, Marcus Ericsson, the turning point of the year came at the fourth round, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held on the Baku street circuit.
In Baku, Leclerc out-qualified Ericcson by 1.8 seconds, finishing in the fourteenth position, while the Swede could only finish eighteenth. On Sunday, Leclerc had a strong pace throughout the race, making his way up the grid and climbing positions.
The race, as it usually is in Baku, was very chaotic, with numerous accidents and retirements. Leclerc avoided all incidents while taking advantage of them to climb positions, and finally finished sixth. This was his first strong weekend of the season, where he achieved his best result of the year and his first points in the category.
This was the beginning of a streak of 6 races in which he scored in 5 of them, being his home race Monaco the only one in which he could not, as he retired after an accident, beating his much more experienced teammate in points.
2. First Appearance In Q3 – 2018 French GP
Throughout the season, Leclerc not only improved his race pace but also impressed with his qualifying performances. The Monegasque completed good performances with his midfield car during the first few races, usually finishing around the fifteenth position.
However, in the eighth round of the season, Leclerc was able to make it into Q3, where after an incredible drive he finished eighth. This was the first of his Q3 appearances. After the French Grand Prix, the Monegasque made semi-regular Q3 appearances for the rest of the season, outperforming his car and proving that he was one of the best drivers on the grid on a single lap.
While he was completing good performances in qualifying and in the race, he was attracting the attention of the big teams, with numerous rumors that he was going to be called by Ferrari or Mercedes, among others.
3. Third Consecutive P7 – 2018 Abu Dhabi GP
After the summer break, Leclerc was confirmed by Ferrari as an official driver for the 2019 season, alongside Sebastian Vettel, although many people doubted this decision, as the Monegasque had completed great performances that season but not enough to convince everyone.
However, Leclerc completed a superb second half of the season that dispelled all doubts. The Monegasque outperformed his car and completed good qualifying runs and had a strong race pace. In the last three races of the season, Leclerc finished seventh in all of them, being the best of the rest.
This is something very impressive, as in 2018 there were three top teams, and the midfield was very tight. Although Alfa Romeo was still better than McLaren, it was behind Renault, Haas, and Force India. Thus, Leclerc completed a great end to the season before jumping into the Ferrari.
4. First Pole Position and Podium With Ferrari – 2019 Bahrain GP
In only his second race with Ferrari, Leclerc took pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix, becoming, at 21 years, 5 months, and 15 days, the second youngest polesitter in history, after Sebastian Vettel. The German finished second, so both Ferraris occupied the front row of the grid, in what was proving to be a perfect weekend for them.
In the race, however, things changed drastically. Leclerc had a bad start, and in the first corner was overtaken by Vettel, and shortly after by the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, dropping to third position as the Monegasque struggled to find grip.
On the second lap, Leclerc regained second position, and began a chase to Vettel, with a much faster pace than the German. On lap 6 the Monegasque overtook Vettel and gradually consolidated the lead, being the fastest on track.
However, when everything seemed to be solved for Leclerc, during the closing stages of the race the Monegasque suffered a loss of power in his car, losing the great pace he had, and was overtaken by the two Mercedes. Leclerc finished third, which was a great result, but it tasted bad after the Monegasque had the pace to win the race.
5. Emotional First F1 Win – 2019 Belgian GP
The 2019 Belgian Grand Prix was marked by tragedy, following a fatal accident in Formula 2 in which French driver Anthoine Hubert, a good friend of Leclerc among other drivers on the Formula 1 grid, died. This showed that despite the great safety that currently exists in motorsports, it is still a very dangerous sport.
On Saturday, Leclerc took his third pole position after a masterful lap, in which he was more than 7 tenths faster than second-placed teammate Sebastian Vettel. On Sunday, Leclerc was unchallenged, dominating the race from start to finish.
Thus, Leclerc took his first Formula 1 victory in what was a very emotional weekend. The Monegasque pointed to the sky in dedication to Hubert, fulfilling one of his dreams as a Formula 1 driver.
6. Monza Win With The Tifosi – 2019 Italian GP
Just one week after the Belgian Grand Prix, Leclerc once again took pole position at Monza, the home race of Ferrari, which is always packed with Tifosi, the most passionate and dedicated Formula 1 fans.
On Sunday, Leclerc had a great start, holding the first position and consolidating the lead during the first laps of the race. However, the Monegasque was under constant threat from the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, who almost overtook him on lap 23 after the first pit stop.
After that, the Briton followed him closely, reattempting the overtake on several occasions and putting Leclerc under great pressure, until Hamilton himself made a mistake that relegated him to third place.
In this way, Leclerc scored his second victory in a row, in front of the Tifosi, more than 10 years since Ferrari\’s last victory at Monza, which instantly made him a Ferrari legend.
7. P2 With Mediocre Ferrari – 2020 Austrian GP
2020 and 2021 were difficult seasons for Ferrari, as the team\’s performance declined markedly, and the drivers could hardly aspire to podiums. In the first race of 2020, the Austrian Grand Prix, Leclerc was able to get the most out of his car, which made one think that Ferrari had a competitive car when in fact it did not.
In qualifying, the Monegasque could only manage seventh, while his teammate Vettel did not even make it through to Q3, finishing eleventh. In the race, the Ferrari did not have great pace, and Leclerc spent most of the time struggling in sixth position.
With 10 laps to go, Leclerc moved up one position due to the incident between Alex Albon and Lewis Hamilton, and during the following laps, he completed two superb overtakes over Lando Norris and Sergio Perez.
Leclerc crossed the finish line third, but moved up one position due to Hamilton\’s penalty, taking a superb second position in a mediocre Ferrari.
8. Second Podium Of The Season – 2020 British GP
Leclerc\’s second and final podium finish of the 2020 season came at the British Grand Prix. On Saturday, Leclerc managed a fantastic fourth position, behind both Mercedes and Verstappen\’s Red Bull, which was beyond the capabilities of that Ferrari.
Leclerc completed a great start, overtaking Verstappen, although he lost the position a few corners later. After the first few laps, Leclerc could not keep up with the pace of the fastest cars, staying in fourth position, well behind the Mercedes and Verstappen, and withstanding the pressure of the two McLarens behind.
The Monegasque was able to keep the gap to the McLarens, and on the last lap, he moved up a position after Valtteri Bottas\’ puncture, climbing up to the last podium place while other drivers also suffered punctures due to the high degradation of the track.
9. Pole Position At Home – 2021 Monaco GP
After a disappointing 2020, Leclerc and Ferrari started a 2021 that was not much better than the previous year. In the first four rounds of the season, Leclerc had only been able to fight for points, and Ferrari was far off the pace of the fastest teams.
In the fifth round, the Monaco Grand Prix, Leclerc\’s home race, Ferrari showed better pace than we had seen so far, and both the Monegasque and Sainz went through to Q3. In the first attempt, Leclerc got the fastest time after a good lap, and during the last minute, when all drivers were completing their second attempt, the Monegasque crashed into the barriers, causing a red flag and the end of the session.
In this way, Leclerc obtained his first pole position of the season and the first in his home race, and it seemed that this way he would break the \”spell\” he had in Monaco, as he had never finished that race.
However, the next day, while Leclerc was on his way to the grid before the race, his car stopped working, as a result of the previous day\’s accident, so he could not even start the race despite his great lap.
10. Charging Through The Pack – 2021 Styrian GP
For the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix, Leclerc qualified seventh, well ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz, who could only manage twelfth and was looking to score some good points ahead of Sunday.
In the race, however, he had an early collision with Pierre Gasly, which damaged his front wing, so he had to make a pit stop that made him fall to the back of the grid. With the performance the Ferrari had shown during the season, the race was not very encouraging, but Leclerc made the most of it to complete a magnificent comeback.
The Monegasque was gradually making his way through the grid, quietly but effectively. Having pitted at the first lap, Leclerc completed a long stint on hard tires, so that after his second stop he could give his all on the Spielberg track.
Thus, during the last 20 laps, Leclerc completed some good moves and moved up from eleventh position to seventh, just behind Sainz in what was a masterful comeback with a car without much race pace.
11. P2 In A Masterly Manner – 2021 British GP
Leclerc\’s best result of the 2021 season came at the British Grand Prix. The Monegasque qualified fourth on Friday, and on Saturday, in the sprint race he held off attacks from the faster cars to finish in the same position. The Mercedes and Red Bulls had much faster paces, so a podium finish seemed unlikely unless something happened.
On Sunday, Leclerc took third at the start and took advantage of the accident between Hamilton and Verstappen, which left the Dutchman out of the race, to climb to first place. At the restart, the Monegasque held the position and, against all odds, consolidated the lead, with a great race pace.
Leclerc led the race for 49 laps until he was overtaken by Hamilton with 2 laps to go after a long chase and thus finished in a fantastic second position, well above the possibilities of that Ferrari.
12. First Win Of The Season – 2022 Bahrain GP
There were many unknowns regarding the performance of the teams for the 2022 season, due to the major regulatory changes to the aerodynamics of the cars. In the first round of the championship, the Bahrain Grand Prix, Ferrari completed a perfect weekend that placed them as clear contenders for the title.
In qualifying, Leclerc took pole position, ahead of Max Verstappen\’s Red Bull and Carlos Sainz\’s other Ferrari. At the start, Leclerc held the first position and soon Verstappen began his pursuit. On lap 18, the Dutchman overtook him at the first corner, but the Monegasque passed him again to take the lead.
One lap later, Verstappen tried again without success and after that, Leclerc consolidated the lead, with a strong race pace. A few laps from the end, Verstappen suffered an engine problem, so Sainz was able to climb to second place and Ferrari got a fantastic 1-2 to start the season.
13. Intense Battle Against Verstappen – 2022 Saudi Arabian GP
The 2022 season started with a close fight between Ferrari and Red Bull, with Leclerc and Verstappen being the leaders of each team. In the second round of the championship, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the Red Bull of Sergio Perez took the pole position, followed by the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz and Verstappen.
In the race, after the first pit stop, Leclerc took the lead and Verstappen climbed to second position, and after that they starred in an epic fight for the victory. With 8 laps to go, Verstappen overtook Leclerc, but the Monegasque passed him on the main straight to retake the lead.
A lap later, Verstappen tried to overtake him at the same corner, unsuccessfully in the face of the Monegasque\’s relentless defense. With 4 laps to go, Verstappen overtook him on the main straight with DRS and after that, Leclerc followed closely behind the Dutchman, unable to overtake him but finishing in a fantastic second position while leading the championship.
14. Perfect Weekend – 2022 Australian GP
Formula 1 reached the third round of 2022, the Australian Grand Prix, with the championship more alive than ever, with Ferrari and Red Bull as the fastest teams but with a very evenly matched grid. After an eventful qualifying, Leclerc was 2 tenths faster than Verstappen in Q3 and took pole position.
On Sunday, Leclerc held the lead for the first few laps, with a better pace than Verstappen. A Safety Car on lap 24 brought the whole pack together, and after the restart, Verstappen threatened the lead, but Leclerc\’s great defense kept him first.
After that, Leclerc resumed the great pace of the race and increasingly took more time to Verstappen, until the Dutchman\’s engine broke so he had to retire. Thus, Leclerc won the race, more than 20 seconds ahead of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull, establishing a big gap in the championship over second-placed George Russell.
15. Fantastic Comeback – 2022 Canadian GP
For the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, Leclerc would start from the back of the grid, because he had taken new power unit components, so he would have to make his way through the grid in order not to lose too many points to Verstappen, who started from pole position.
A good race on Sunday was vital to keep championship hopes alive. In the race, the Monegasque overtook two positions on the first lap, and with a good pace he gradually climbed positions. On lap 8 he was already 13th, so the points positions were not far away.
Unlike most drivers, Leclerc started on hard tires, so he made his first pit stop later, and in his second stint he was on medium tires while the rest were on hard. Thus, the Monegasque was one of the fastest drivers on track at the beginning of his second stint, completing overtaking after overtaking, and on lap 49 he was already seventh, when a Safety Car came out.
After the restart, the Monegasque overtook the two Alpines of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon to finish in a fantastic fifth position, which still gave him hope for the championship.
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16. Last Win Of The Season – 2022 Austrian GP
As the races went by, Red Bull was getting stronger, while Ferrari went down, with a worse race pace and many strategy failures, so both Leclerc and Sainz were losing points to their biggest rivals, Verstappen and Perez, while the Mercedes were also getting closer and closer.
The last victory of the season for both Leclerc and Ferrari came at the Austrian Grand Prix. In an eventful qualifying, Verstappen snatched the pole position from Leclerc at the last moment, with the Monegasque coming in second, ahead of Sainz, while Perez was fourth.
In the race, however, things were different. Verstappen held the lead at the start, but Leclerc followed him closely for the first few laps until he overtook him on the inside on lap 12 in a brilliant move.
Leclerc extended his first stint longer than Verstappen, and when the Monegasque made his pit stop, he came out behind the Dutchman. However, with fresher tires, Leclerc soon overtook him to take the lead and did not give up the first position until the end, getting a great victory that made him stay alive in the championship.
Conclusion
Charles Leclerc has established himself as one of the best drivers on the current grid. During these last years, he has proven to be a very complete and consistent driver, being probably the best in one lap and with a very strong race pace.
The Monegasque was threatening the title during the first part of the 2022 season, and although thereafter the team went into decline, there is no doubt that with a fast car, he can be world champion. If Ferrari comes back strong, Leclerc is a clear title contender.
