"Monaco finally loved him back"
- pitwallstories
- Jul 25, 2024
- 3 min read
The Circuit de Monaco has always been seen as a piece of history, "the jewel in the crown”. Since the first race that was held there, in 1929, everyone knew that the Monaco Grand Prix was destined to be different from the others. In every way possible.
From that moment on, every single driver who was ready to drive their car among the monégasque streets, knew both in their hearts and minds that something else was in the air.
Ayrton Senna knew too. Even after winning this race six times, becoming the driver with most wins on this circuit, he knew the weight that was on his shoulders, the expectations, the hopes and dreams of those watching. Because in Monaco, the real judges are the eyes of the people, watching from the grandstands, from the balconies, from the streets, from whenever they can get a glimpse of the cars.
And it is exactly among these people that there was a little boy, standing on his toes and desperately trying to look over the balcony to catch a sight of the cars driving by. His name is Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc. He clings to his father’s leg, begging him to help him see better. Papà Hervé looks down to his son and immediately he sees the spark in his son’s eyes. The same spark that will fuel the fire of a burning passion and will not be put out until the dream comes true. So it’s on that balcony that Papà Hervé makes a silent promise. To do whatever it takes to see his son living this dream, his dream.
A promise that we know was honored for a long time.. until money unfortunately became an issue and it seemed like the only thing left to do was to extinguish the fire and let the dream die. But then the little kid’s passion was saved by someone, someone who’s name today shines among the brightest stars in the sky, Jules Bianchi. Jules that so lovingly took that little child under his wing and turned him into the man that he is today.
These are the two people that Charles Leclerc mentions first as he stands in front of his SF-24, after winning the Monaco Grand Prix. After winning his home race for the first time.
Over the loud cheers and claps of the crowd watching and the entire Ferrari team waiting for him with open arms, Charles talks about Papà Hervé and his best friend Jules.
“I have to say I was thinking of my dad a lot more while driving [...] He’s given everything for me to be here. It was a dream of ours.”
He says with tears in his eyes and having to pause a few times in order to stop the emotions from getting the best of him.
He remembers everything of his past, from watching the races with his dad to the karting days with Jules.
He remembers as he stands on the highest step of the podium in Monaco, in front of his city. A city that has made him doubt himself many times in the past. A city that he so incredibly loves but that has somehow found it hard to love him back.
“In the last two laps I struggled to see because I had tears in my eyes.” Charles admits in an interview when asked about how he was feeling by the end of the race. A statement that of course is proven to be true by the joyful screams and the way his voice was breaking when his race engineer confirmed that he had just won.
Charles Leclerc smiles as he proudly looks down on the crowd but most importantly on his team. The Italian Scuderia that has accompanied him since the first years of his Formula One career. A team that is more than a team. Way before he became ‘Il Predestinato’, when he was only a little child, knowing that driving for Ferrari was just a dream. To Charles, it still feels like a dream. A good one and he does not want to wake up.
He holds back tears as he wholeheartedly sings to both anthems, the monégasque and the italian. Because that’s who Charles Leclerc is: Prince of Monaco, King of Ferrari, born in Monte Carlo but raised in Maranello.
Daghe Charles.
Written by Fran
