Ahead of his 150th race in Suzuka, let’s take a look back at Charles Leclerc’s Formula 1 career through his most significant achievements.
At this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc will compete in his 150th Formula 1 race. The Ferrari driver joins an exclusive club: despite his young age, only 46 drivers in history have taken part in more races than him. His journey, now in its seventh season between Sauber and Ferrari, has seen the Monegasque claim 8 victories, 26 pole positions, and 43 podiums. Let’s take a look back at his career through his most significant milestones.
Sauber’s debut
Race 1. After dominating Formula 2 in 2017, Ferrari Driver Academy talent Charles Leclerc was promoted to Formula 1 with Sauber, replacing Pascal Wehrlein and becoming the first Monegasque driver in the top tier of motorsport since Olivier Beretta in 1994. Qualifying 18th, Leclerc managed to recover a few positions with a modest car, finishing in 13th place. However, this was just the beginning.
First points
Race 4. After two point-less weekends in Bahrain and China, Leclerc delivered a stunning performance in Baku, securing an impressive sixth-place finish by capitalizing on the chaos ahead—Verstappen and Ricciardo took each other out, while Bottas suffered a puncture while leading. These were his first 8 points in F1, earned on a circuit that would bring him both great satisfaction—and, unfortunately, heartbreak—in the future.
A nightmare narrowly avoided
Race 13. Midway through the season, after a streak of three consecutive points finishes, Leclerc faced a tough and unlucky period with five races without scoring. Among them, at the Belgian Grand Prix, a dramatic crash saw Alonso’s McLaren fly over his Sauber after being hit by Hulkenberg’s Renault. All drivers escaped unscathed, and Leclerc would later credit the halo for potentially saving his life.
Debut in red
Race 22. Finishing 13th in the 2018 championship and earning the FIA Rookie of the Year award secured Leclerc’s promotion to Ferrari (announced back in September). He became the first driver to make the jump from the Ferrari Driver Academy to the Scuderia’s main team. His debut in Australia was steady but unspectacular—qualifying fifth and finishing fifth. The highs and lows would come soon enough.
First pole and first heartbreak
Race 23. In the very next race in Bahrain, Leclerc claimed his first career pole position. At 21 years and 165 days old, he became the second-youngest pole-sitter in history, just behind his Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel. At the start, he dropped to third, but within a few laps, he fought back to reclaim the lead. However, with just 10 laps to go, an engine issue slowed him down, forcing him to settle for third place. His first career podium didn’t come the way he had hoped.
Il predestinato
Races 34-35. After securing another pole in Austria and multiple podiums in the first half of the season, Leclerc arrived in Belgium for an emotional weekend at Spa, marked by the tragic loss of Anthoine Hubert in Formula 2. On race day, he started from pole and managed to hold off a late charge from Lewis Hamilton to claim his maiden Formula 1 victory—becoming the first Monegasque to win in F1 and the third-youngest winner in history, behind Verstappen and Vettel.
A week later, the script repeated itself at Monza. “Il Predestinato,” as commentator Carlo Vanzini called him, triumphed in front of the passionate Tifosi, delivering Ferrari’s first home victory in nine years.
The start of an illusion
Race 81. The 2020 and 2021 seasons were challenging years for Leclerc and Ferrari. Performance was lacking, victories were elusive, and Leclerc had to settle for two pole positions in Monaco and Baku in 2021. At his home race in Monaco, his hopes of victory vanished even before the start, with a problem on his SF21 during the installation lap. However, 2022 brought a new set of regulations and a renewed sense of hope. Leclerc seized the opportunity immediately: he took pole and won the season opener in Bahrain, becoming the championship leader for the first time in his career.
Total domination
Race 83. In Melbourne, Leclerc reached the peak of his career so far. The third race of the season brought him his first (and so far, only) Grand Slam: pole position, victory, fastest lap, and leading the race from start to finish. The gap to his championship rivals was massive, and the future seemed bright. Unfortunately, this would mark the beginning of the end for his title challenge.
The end of the dream
Race 92. After a difficult part of the season, marked by many pole positions but only one victory in Austria due to retirements and strategic errors, Leclerc tries to regain his momentum and close the gap to leader Verstappen. Another pole position and a race led without many issues seem to make a title comeback possible, but a mistake from Leclerc condemns him to return home with no points. From this point on, Leclerc would go nearly two years without a victory.
The curse is broken
Race 131. 2023 was a tough year for Leclerc: issues with race pace and tire management prevented him from winning any races. However, the season ended on a high note, with 5 pole positions and 6 podiums (3 of which came in the last 3 races). 2024 began the way the previous season ended, with consistent finishes in the top 4, culminating in a long-awaited victory in Monaco after years of misfortune in his home race. On the streets of the Principality, Leclerc secured a strong pole position and controlled the race, fending off attacks from Piastri. The first-place finish was finally his.
Monza once again
Race 139. After a challenging summer, Leclerc and Ferrari returned from the break with another streak of top 4 finishes, culminating in Monza, where the number 16 claimed victory once again after 5 years. The qualifying session didn’t go as hoped, and the 1997-born driver had to settle for fourth place, with the McLarens dominating the front row. However, on Sunday, a perfect and unexpected strategy caught Norris and Piastri off guard, allowing Leclerc to take the win in what has now become his second home Grand Prix.
The Suzuka milestone
Race 150. This weekend, barring any unforeseen issues, Leclerc will reach 150 race starts in his career out of 152 weekends contested (he missed the races in Monaco in 2021 and Brazil in 2023). The 2025 season hasn’t started as hoped: an eighth-place finish in Australia and a disqualification in China are certainly not what he and the team had anticipated. Will history change in Suzuka? Only time will tell.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari Multimedia, FIA, F1
