Leclerc rode a tsunami of anticipation to the Formula One championship after being born in the Mediterranean paradise of Monaco.

On his path to winning the GP3 and Formula 2 championships, he was almost unbeatable, displaying a full repertoire of abilities, from blistering pole positions and dominating triumphs (despite his vehicle catching fire twice at Silverstone) to the capacity to bully his way to the front of the pack. Leclerc has valuable experience in dealing with pressure as he won the Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships in a row.

In his rookie season of Formula One in 2018, Charles Leclerc displayed moments of ballistic pace on Saturdays and racing brilliance on Sundays, pushing the limits of his Sauber to the point where it was no longer competitive. His efforts earned him a race seat at Ferrari in 2019, replacing Kimi Raikkonen as the Scuderia’s world champion driver.

There, he quickly scared the horses and went head-to-head with the reigning champion, Sebastian Vettel. After claiming his first Formula One race win in Spa, he repeated the feat a week later on Ferrari’s holy ground at Monza. After becoming the first man to outscore Vettel in a season with the Scuderia, he repeated the accomplishment in dominating manner the following year, cementing his status as a new hero in the eyes of the tifosi.

Leclerc is reserved and introspective when he’s not behind the wheel, but he has his own agenda. This promising youngster is honoring his late father, Herve, and F1 racer Jules Bianchi, his buddy and mentor who both passed away in 2015.

So far, he seems to be living up to their expectations.