Where is Charles Leclerc from

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Charles Leclerc is from the principality of Monaco, a tiny, glamorous city-state on the French Riviera. Born on October 16, 1997, Leclerc was one of the few drivers from Monaco who made it to the Formula 1 circuit, where a country is better known for its money and glory rather than any noticeable skills in racing.

Despite its minuscule size, Monaco has an even longer motorsport history, The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the events most in demand for every Formula 1 team on the calendar. One aspect Leclerc can be proud of is his Monegasque background, and that connection makes him rather tied to one of the most famous circuits in the world.

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When did Charles Leclerc start his F1 career?

He came into Formula One in 2018, where he performed exceptionally with Sauber, scooping up 81 percent of the team's points, bringing them from last place in the Constructors' table to eighth. In 2019, Leclerc joined Ferrari following a long-anticipated transfer and partnered with Sebastian Vettel. During this year, he achieved the feat of being one of the youngest drivers in the history of F1 to take pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Leclerc sealed his first career win later in the season in Belgium, followed by a historic victory in Italy that broke Ferrari's nine-year dry spell at their home race.

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Leclerc has been bouncing back since the challenging seasons of 2020 and 2021 when Ferrari's fortunes declined. In 2022, he bounced back again to become the runner-up behind Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship. Yet another landmark moment for him was 2024, during which he won the Monaco Grand Prix, making him the first-ever Monegasque driver to win his home race in 93 years, solidifying himself in F1 history.

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Is Charles Leclerc's family involved in motorsport racing?

Yes, Charles Leclerc's family has a history of racing, he was born to Herve and Pascale Leclerc and is the middle child of the family. His father Herve had been a racing enthusiast who raced in Formula 3 during the 1980s and 1990s. There had been an untimely passing of Herve to a protracted illness in 2017 when he was aged 54, four days before Charles Leclerc secured a feature race victory at the Baku Formula 2 round. He was close to his dad. Two days before the death of his father, he told his father that he signed a contract with Formula 1 when in reality, the deal was only signed a month later with Sauber.

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Leclerc’s family ties to motorsport run deep. His elder brother, Lorenzo, was the best friend of the late Jules Bianchi who died in 2014 after suffering heavy head injuries following a crash during a Formula 1 race and was godfather to Charles Leclerc. That loss was one blow that cut into Leclerc. He has another little brother Arthur who is currently racing, he drives in the European Le Mans Series and has also raced in Formula 2.