Charles Leclerc turned 25 on Sunday. The Ferrari driver made his debut in the Formula 1 season in 2018. To date, the Monegasque has appeared on the podium 22 times, five of them on the top step.

Leclerc is known as one of the great talents within Formula 1. The Monegasque became Formula 2 champion in 2017 for Prema Racing. Like many Formula 2 champions, he was given a chance in Formula 1. In his first season in 2018, he drove for Sauber. That year, the young Monegasque made an immediate impression, including a sixth-place finish in Baku. Within a year, he made the big move to Ferrari where he teamed up with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

From low point to high point

In his first season for Ferrari in 2019, he again stood out as being bursting with talent. The Monegasque beat Vettel, his experienced teammate and four-time world champion. That season also saw him take his first victory in Belgium. For the young driver, it was a sad weekend as his good friend Anthoine Hubert crashed in Formula 2 on the Saturday. A week later, the Ferrari driver with start number 16 took his second victory in Italy. Winning at Monza with Ferrari is the highlight of his career so far and he dedicated this win to the late Hubert.

A lesser Ferrari

In 2020, the Ferrari was not nearly as fast compared to previous years. Nevertheless, Leclerc still managed to get on the podium twice. Teammate Vettel finished no less than five places behind the Monegasque in the championship. Since 2021, Leclerc has been driving alongside Sainz. In that season, Leclerc managed to accumulate 159 points. It earned him seventh place in the final standings.

Title rival

This season could have looked a lot brighter for Leclerc and Ferrari. Whereas in the first phase of the season it all looked so rosy for Leclerc, who looked like he could seriously compete for the title and become a rival to reigning world champion Max Verstappen. Yet, due to strategic lapses and the unreliability of the Ferrari powerplant, it was ultimately Verstappen who could crown himself the world champion in Japan.

Congratulations

The birthday boy Leclerc can naturally count on congratulations from his team and teammate on social media on this special day:

Official Charles Leclerc appreciation post ™️

Happy Birthday, @Charles_Leclerc! #essereFerrari pic.twitter.com/gLOCdRH1Cc

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 16, 2022

 

Happy birthday cabrón! @Charles_Leclerc pic.twitter.com/1NbV6APdPC

— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) October 16, 2022