A childhood pal of the late Jules Bianchi - who encouraged and nurtured Charles' talent in his short lifetime - Charles is also the son of the late French and Italian Formula 3 driver Herve, who died as Leclerc dominated the Formula 2 Championship to earn his Formula 1 drive with Sauber in 2018. Leclerc excelled in karting before racing in Formula Renault, European Formula 3 and GP3. Charles won the GP3 title in 2016, which set him up for his title-winning Formula 2 title the next year. After an excellent debut season, Leclerc moved to Ferrari in 2019. He remains there in 2026.

Biography last updated 8 Dec 2025