Ferrari Driver · Formula 1

Charles Leclerc

The fastest man over one lap of his generation, and the one who finally won at home. The official Leclerc collection: 27 poles, a Monaco curse broken, and red.

Nationality
Monégasque
Born
16 October 1997 · Monte Carlo, Monaco
Teams
Sauber · Ferrari
Best finish
2nd (2022)
Car number
16
Home win
Monaco Grand Prix, 2024
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Charles Leclerc in Ferrari race suit with his number 16 Ferrari Formula 1 car
Monaco's Own
2018 — Present
9
Grand Prix Wins
27
Pole Positions
54
Podium Finishes
1810
Career Points

Who is Charles Leclerc?

Charles Leclerc (born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque Formula 1 driver who has raced for Ferrari since 2019. He has 9 Grand Prix wins, 27 pole positions and 54 podium finishes from 182 starts, and was championship runner-up in 2022. He holds the record for the most pole positions of any driver never to have won a World Championship.

Full name
Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc
Nationality
Monégasque
F1 career
2018–present
Best known for
Qualifying pace and Monaco 2024

By Kozmozracing Editorial Published Updated 8 sources

Rider Profile

Charles Leclerc: Full Biography

Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc is a Monégasque racing driver for Scuderia Ferrari, and one of the fastest qualifiers of his era — his 27 pole positions are the most of any driver never to have won a World Championship.

Il Predestinato He won GP3 at the first attempt in 2016 and Formula 2 at the first attempt in 2017, went to Sauber for a debut season in 2018, and was in a Ferrari by 2019. Two wins came that first year in red, at Spa and then at Monza in front of the tifosi.

The Nearly Years 2022 was the closest he has come: three wins, nine poles and runner-up in the championship. What followed were seasons where the qualifying pace was rarely matched by the car underneath it on Sunday.

Home Leclerc grew up a few streets from the Monaco circuit and had never finished on its podium in six attempts. In 2024 he led every lap from pole to win it — the first Monégasque to take his home Grand Prix since Louis Chiron in 1931.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Charles Leclerc

Chapter 01

Il Predestinato

Leclerc won GP3 in 2016 and Formula 2 in 2017, each at the first attempt, each with a margin that made the next step look inevitable. Sauber gave him a debut season in 2018 and he out-scored a car that had finished last the year before. Ferrari signed him for 2019, aged 21. He took seven poles that season and won at Spa, then at Monza a week later, in front of a tifosi who had waited nine years for an Italian Grand Prix victory in red.

Charles Leclerc driving the Sauber C37 in his debut Formula 1 season GP3, F2, Ferrari · three years, three steps Photo: Charles Leclerc driving the Sauber C37 by Racingperson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · licence
Chapter 02

The Fastest Over One Lap

Twenty-seven pole positions is more than any driver who has never won a World Championship. Nine of them came in 2022, the year he led the championship into the summer and finished it second. The pattern of his Ferrari career has been a Saturday the car did not deserve followed by a Sunday it did — a run of near-misses that says more about the machinery than the driver in it.

Charles Leclerc driving Ferrari SF-25 during FP2 at 2025 Singapore GP Saturday · the pole record without a title Photo: Charles Leclerc driving Ferrari SF-25 during FP2 at 2025 Singapore GP by Liauzh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · licence
Chapter 03

Breaking the Monaco Curse

He grew up within walking distance of the circuit and had never once stood on its podium — six attempts, two of them from pole, all of them ending in something breaking or someone else's crash. In 2024 he led every lap of all 78 and won it, the first Monégasque to take the Monaco Grand Prix since Louis Chiron 93 years earlier. Prince Albert was in the stands. It is the drive he is asked about more than any other.

Charles Leclerc name and number 16 above Scuderia Ferrari pit box at Circuit de Monaco home race Monte Carlo · his home Grand Prix Photo: Charles Leclerc #16 Ferrari pit box at Monaco GP by crash71100 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 · licence
Career Timeline

Charles Leclerc Career Timeline: 1997–Present

Born in Monte Carlo

Charles Leclerc is born on 16 October in Monaco, a few streets from the Grand Prix circuit.

GP3 Series Champion

Wins the GP3 title in his first season and joins the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Formula 2 Champion

Takes the Formula 2 championship at the first attempt.

Formula 1 Debut with Sauber

Debuts in Australia and finishes thirteenth in the championship in a car that had been last the year before.

First Wins for Ferrari

Promoted to Ferrari; takes seven poles and back-to-back victories at Spa and Monza.

Championship Runner-Up

Three wins and nine poles; leads the title race into the summer and finishes second.

Wins at Home

Leads every lap of the Monaco Grand Prix from pole — the first Monégasque winner there since 1931.

Partnered with Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari; Leclerc finishes fifth in the championship.

Ferrari's 250th Win

Wins the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Ferrari's 250th Grand Prix victory.

By the Numbers

Charles Leclerc F1 Career Record, Season by Season

Charles Leclerc season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
2018 Sauber 0 0 0 39 13
2019 Ferrari 2 7 10 264 4
2020 Ferrari 0 0 2 98 8
2021 Ferrari 0 2 1 159 7
2022 Ferrari 3 9 11 308 2
2023 Ferrari 0 5 6 206 5
2024 Ferrari 3 3 13 356 3
2025 Ferrari 0 1 7 242 5
2026 Ferrari 1 0 4 138 4

Career totals: 9 wins · 27 pole positions · 54 podiums · 1,810 points from 182 Grand Prix starts. No championship season yet, so no row is highlighted. The 2026 season is still in progress; figures verified 28 July 2026.

Charles Leclerc in his own words

In His Own Words
Whatever the position is at stake, you've got to do your absolute best as a driver whether you're fighting for the fifth, fourth or first position.
Charles Leclerc · on racing, 2026

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Frequently Asked

Charles Leclerc: Frequently Asked Questions

How many races has Charles Leclerc won?

Leclerc has won 9 Grands Prix from 182 starts, along with 27 pole positions and 54 podium finishes. His most recent win came at the 2026 British Grand Prix, which was also Ferrari's 250th victory.

Has Charles Leclerc won a World Championship?

Not yet. His best finish is second, in 2022, when he took three wins and nine pole positions. He also finished third in 2024.

What record does Charles Leclerc hold?

He has taken more pole positions — 27 — than any other driver who has never won a World Drivers' Championship. He is also the third-youngest Grand Prix winner and the second-youngest polesitter in Formula 1 history.

Why was Charles Leclerc winning Monaco so significant?

Leclerc grew up beside the circuit and had never finished on the Monaco podium in six attempts, twice starting from pole. In 2024 he led all 78 laps to win it, becoming the first Monégasque to take his home Grand Prix since Louis Chiron in 1931.

Which teams has Charles Leclerc driven for?

Two: Sauber in 2018, then Ferrari from 2019 onwards. He was signed to the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016, before his Formula 1 debut.

What did Charles Leclerc win before Formula 1?

The GP3 Series in 2016 and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2017, both at the first attempt.

Who is Charles Leclerc's teammate?

Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari for the 2025 season. The two have shared the Ferrari garage since then.

Shop His Gear

Charles Leclerc Collection

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References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. Charles Leclerc — official driver profile · Formula1.com (official)
  2. Charles Leclerc — season-by-season statistics · StatsF1
  3. Charles Leclerc driver database · Motor Sport Magazine
  4. Charles Leclerc — team profile · Scuderia Ferrari (official)
  5. 2026 British Grand Prix race report · Formula1.com (official)
  6. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile · FIA, governing body records
  7. Charles Leclerc · Wikipedia
  8. Charles Leclerc (Q17541912) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

Commercial disclosure. This page links to merchandise sold by Kozmozracing. Products are fan-made tributes inspired by motorsport history and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed from the rider, their estate, or any team.

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