Leclerc, a graduate of the Ferrari Driver Academy, debuted in Formula One with Sauber in 2018. In 2019, he joined Ferrari, taking Kimi Raikkonen’s place. He has a contract with Ferrari that runs through the 2024 racing season.
Career in Formula One
In 2016, when the Monegasque racer was accepted into the Ferrari Driver Academy, Leclerc made his Formula One debut. He would participate in FP1 at the 2016 British Grand Prix, where he would make his Formula One testing debut with Ferrari customer team Haas F1. Later in the season, he would receive more FP1 sessions. Though the American team insisted that the Monegasque driver would have to compete in Formula 2, rumors of Leclerc joining Haas in 2017 quickly spread.
Leclerc, Charles
On October 16, 1997, Charles Leclerc, a Monegasque Formula 1 driver, was born in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Leclerc started his F1 career in 2018 as a hot prospect who had just won back-to-back GP3 and F2 championships. His first stop would be Sauber, where he would race for the first time at the Australian Grand Prix in 2018.
He was quickly promoted to Ferrari with Sebastian Vettel after a good rookie season, taking the place of seasoned Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen.
Leclerc was initially hired by Ferrari as the No. 2 driver but quickly shed that designation. He immediately engaged Vettel in battle, and by the end of the 2019 season, he had more victories, pole positions, and points than the four-time World Champion.
He became the youngest and first non-Mercedes winner of the F1 Pole Trophy with his seven pole positions in 2019.
Ferrari’s engine’s significant lack of power made the 2020 season considerably more challenging, but Leclerc still turned in great performances, including two podium finishes in the first four races.
He finished much ahead of teammate Vettel despite dropping to ninth in the Drivers’ Championship, demonstrating his driving prowess despite driving a subpar vehicle.
Jules Bianchi, who unfortunately passed away from wounds he received at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, is Leclerc’s godfather. Leclerc and Bianchi both entered the Formula One as members of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
It’s interesting to note that Leclerc prefers the number seven, which Raikkonen had previously used. His second option, the number 10, is currently being used by his close buddy Pierre Gasly.
He would ultimately choose 16 because one and six sum up to the value of seven.
Leclerc is an avid player off the track, and during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, he participated in numerous esports competitions.