Even before Charles Leclerc made his F1 debut, he was regarded as future World Championship material. Much of this reputation stemmed from his exceptional performances in the junior circuit, with his most significant milestone occurring exactly one year ago on this day.
On 7th October 2017, Leclerc confirmed his F2 Championship title in his rookie season after winning the Feature Race in Jerez. As far as F2 seasons normally go, it was one of the most dominant campaigns ever witnessed.
Driving for Prema, Leclerc secured seven pole positions and victories in 2017, showcasing an incredible level of consistency throughout the season. His final points tally of 282 earned him a commanding 72-point lead over runner-up Artem Markelov at the end of the season.
His victory also made him the youngest F2 Champion in history at just 19 years old. Additionally, he set the fastest lap ever recorded in F2 at Monaco, completing a lap around the streets of the principality in just 1:19.309—truly a season of records.
7 years ago, TODAY: charles leclerc won the F2 championship with @PREMA_Team!
7 poles
7 wins
72 points margin to the vice-champion
282 points
fastest lap in F2 ever in monaco (1:19.309)
youngest F2 champion
rookie of the yearmost dominant F2 season ever pic.twitter.com/208v5TSIyv
— leclerc data (@leclercdata) October 7, 2024
His dominant season quickly caught the attention of F1 teams, kickstarting his journey to the pinnacle of motorsport. Leclerc made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2018, where he continued to impress, eventually receiving a call-up to the iconic Scuderia Ferrari in 2019—a dream he had always chased.
Leclerc’s journey to F1 began at 3 years old
Leclerc’s journey to F1 began with an innocent lie to his father, Hervé. In a conversation with Jay Shetty on his podcast, Leclerc recounted a story from when he was three years old, where he pretended to be sick to skip school.
His father believed him and decided to take him to the Bianchi family’s karting track, where Charles first discovered the world of karting. Although there were no karts suitable for children his size, he was allowed to try late F1 driver Jules Bianchi’s old kart, which had been customized for young drivers.
“I tried for the first time there,” Leclerc recalled. “They attached a rope to my kart and had an adult driving in front of me. But after the first lap, they took the rope off, and I kept driving until the fuel ran out.”
That moment marked the true beginning of his journey to F1, and now, 23 years later, he has become a superstar, carrying the hopes of Ferrari and its millions of fans from around the world.
