Charles Leclerc has endured some tough moments during his Formula 1 career, so F1 Oversteer has compiled a list of some of his worst races including the Monaco GP curse and Bahrain GP heartbreak.
Since joining the grid in 2018, Leclerc’s career has largely been successful, having taken wins at Ferrari. He was part of the Ferrari young driver programme during his junior formula years, having also been managed by the son of former Ferrari CEO and FIA President Jean Todt.
Leclerc achieved one of his F1 career dreams by winning his home race at Monaco this year, however that dream was not possible without enduring some lows in his career.
Charles Leclerc’s near-miss at the start of the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix
Leclerc’s first season in F1 was with Alfa Romeo (now Sauber) as they were an engine and technical partner of Ferrari, and while it was a competitive debut for the Monogasque he did get involved in some dramatic crashes.
One mimicked what happened in 2012 at Spa Francorchamps when Leclerc was involved in a three-car crash involving Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg. The Renault driver crashed into the back of Alonso, causing his McLaren to mount the rear of Leclerc’s Alfa Romeo and briefly become airborne.
The underfloor of Alonso’s car could be seen grazing the top of Leclerc’s helmet, save for the halo cockpit protection device that had just been introduced that season.
Leclerc would credit the halo for walking away from the crash unharmed and appeared to vindicate the controversial decision made by the FIA to install it on all cars, even though there were concerns over its aesthetics and use.
Charles Leclerc’s heartbreak during the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix
Leclerc’s move to Ferrari for 2019 was met with a sense of anticipation, given he was seen as their golden boy. After earning his first pole position under the Bahrain GP floodlights, he led the majority of the race before a problem hit him just 10 laps before the end.
An issue with Ferrari’s engine forced him to concede the lead to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, and with it any chance of him taking a maiden victory with the red team.
Leclerc would eventually get relegated to third place by Valtteri Bottas, but in the podium cool-down room, Hamilton offered his condolences and told him: “I know it sucks in this moment but you got a long, long way to go.”
Charles Leclerc suffers big crash at 2020 Italian Grand Prix
The Monogasque would suffer a big crash out of the 2020 Italian GP at the high-speed Monza circuit.
Just 23 laps into the race, Leclerc carried too much speed into the Parabolica and went off track into the gravel. His Ferrari plowed through the gravel trap and straight into the barriers at high speed, putting a dramatic end to his afternoon.
Leclerc admitted after the race that it was his fault, with the crash capping off a miserable home race for Ferrari after teammate Sebastian Vettel also retired with brake failure.
Charles Leclerc’s Monaco Grand Prix curse
It took Leclerc seven attempts to win his home race, after the previous six ended in disaster. After failing to finish the 2012 F2 race he would go on to crash out of his first F1 race at the principality due to brake failure.
In 2019 he retired from the race after a torrid time towards the back of the grid, while in 2021 he failed to start despite qualifying on pole.
Leclerc had crashed at the end of qualifying, which damaged his gearbox, and with the team not wanting to take a grid penalty they attempted to rescue it but later found out it could not do the race.
In 2022 he qualified on pole but Ferrari made a strategic error in the race that put him outside of the podium positions in P4, while in 2023 he endured a tricky outing when rainy conditions hit the track and he could only manage P6.
Charles Leclerc crashes out while leading the 2022 French Grand Prix
You might think that his Monaco near-misses should be at the top, but his crash out of the 2022 French GP was arguably one of the worst moments in his career.
Leclerc was facing questions over whether he was making too many mistakes while up against Max Verstappen in the drivers’ title, having won three of the first four races.
Off the back of a sensational Austrian GP victory, Leclerc had a chance to close the gap to Verstappen now that he was within 30 points. After winning the Sprint race, he would go on to lead the main Grand Prix for 17 laps before retiring after losing the rear end of his car in the final section of the highspeed Paul Ricard circuit.
Unable to reverse, an irate Leclerc stormed out of his car and effectively conceded any hope of catching Verstappen for the title.
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