Charles Leclerc is a star racing driver in Formula 1 who drives for the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari. In his private life, however, the Monegasque has had to cope with drastic setbacks – including the loss of his father, godfather and close friend.
Charles Leclerc, 26, made Formula 1 history on May 26, 2024 as the first Monegasque driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monte Carlo-born racing driver only moved up to Formula 1 in 2018, and Leclerc has been driving for the motorsport division of sports car manufacturer Ferrari since 2019. He is one of the few who can hold a candle to current defending champion Max Verstappen, 26. In previous world championships, Leclerc has already won races against his former teammate, four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, 36.
While Charles Leclerc was able to achieve one milestone after another in his career, he had to deal with repeated setbacks in his private life. The Formula 1 star lost three important people in his closest circle within four years.
The strokes of fate in the life of Charles Leclerc
Godfather and mentor Jules Bianchi (†25) died after accident in Japan
It was one of the most devastating accidents in the history of Formula 1: On October 5, 2014, Jules Bianchi crashed into the back of a recovery vehicle at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. His head hit the vehicle’s counterweight. The race was stopped immediately and Bianchi received emergency medical treatment at the race track. Bianchi was operated on at Mie University Hospital and placed in an artificial coma. In November 2014, Jules Binachi, who had woken up from the coma and was able to breathe on his own, was taken to his hometown of Nice. On July 17, 2015, Bianchi succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the accident at the age of 25.
Jules Bianchi died on July 17, 2015 at the age of 25.
© Vladimir Rys Photography / Getty Images
Jules Binachi was a close friend of Charles Leclerc, their fathers had also been friends since childhood. “I’ve known Jules since I was born,” Leclerc told “Sky F1”. Binachi, who is eight years older than him, was not only his godfather, but was also considered a mentor to today’s six-time Grand Prix winner. At the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc commemorated his late friend with a special helmet design. “This year marks ten years since we lost Jules here in Japan. So many shared memories that I will never forget. I miss you and I will do everything I can to get the helmet to the top step of the podium on Sunday,” the 26-year-old wrote on Instagram.
Binachi’s death not only changed Charles Leclerc’s life forever, but also had a huge impact on Formula 1. After his fatal accident on the racetrack, the FIA decided to introduce the so-called Halo system for the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship. The safety system protects the driver’s head and has already saved the lives of numerous racing drivers. If Jules Binachi had been sitting in a car with a Halo system in 2014, he would most likely not have succumbed to his injuries.
Charles’ father Hervé Leclerc (†54) fought against serious illness
Charles’ father Hervé Leclerc died on June 20, 2017 at the age of 54 after a long illness. Just four days after Hervé’s death, his then 19-year-old son was back on the track at a Formula 2 race in Baku and even won. Hervé Leclerc died before he could witness his son’s first Formula 1 race. This made Charles’ Monaco victory in May 2024 all the more emotional. “I thought about my father a lot more during the drive than I expected. He gave everything so that I could be here. It was a dream of ours to race here and win, so it’s incredible,” the 26-year-old revealed with tears in his eyes, as “Mirror” reported.
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On the occasion of Hervé’s fifth death anniversary, Charles Leclerc dedicated a heartbreaking Instagram post to his father in June 2022, featuring black-and-white pictures of the former Formula 3 driver: “My father did absolutely everything for me to get to where I am today. I am so grateful to have had him in my life. He always did everything he could to give everyone a smile and make our family happy. You have been gone for five years now and I miss you every day. You were the best father I could have asked for, I love you.”
In the book “Charles Leclerc, le prodige”, published in early 2023, the racing driver gave another insight into his emotional world, according to “Speedweek”: “After the death of Jules Bianchi, this new blow was [der Tod seines Vaters, Anm.d.Red.] very difficult to digest. But I think those difficult hours helped me to mature. I became mentally stronger. Losing your father so early changes you forever.”
His close friend Anthoine Hubert (†22) died after crash in Spa
On August 31, 2019, Anthoine Hubert was involved in a serious accident during the Belgian Grand Prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. After the car in front of him had to swerve and brake abruptly, Hubert swerved into the run-off area, where he crashed into the tire stack. His car was thrown back so that it came to a stop at the side of the track, perpendicular to the direction of travel. Juan Manuel Correa, 24, who was unable to swerve, then raced into Anthoine Hubert’s car at a speed of 270 kilometers per hour. Both vehicles were torn apart in the crash. While Correa survived the accident with broken legs and a spinal injury, Hubert succumbed to his injuries in the medical center at the track two hours after the collision. He was only 22 years old.
Anthoine Hubert died on August 31, 2019 at the age of 22.
© Zak Mauger/Formula Motorsport Limited / Getty Images
Less than 24 hours after the fatal accident, Charles Leclerc drove another race and won the Belgian Grand Prix. It was his first victory in a Formula 1 World Championship, a milestone for any racing driver. But Leclerc could hardly be happy about the tragedy that had occurred the day before. “My first victory in F1. This is for Anthoine. It feels good, but it’s hard to enjoy it on a weekend like this,” Leclerc was heard saying in his radio message, without any euphoria in his voice. As he got out of the vehicle, the Monegasque pointed his finger to the sky and then to the “19 [die Startnummer von Hubert, Anm.d.Red.] – Racing for Anthoine” sticker on his Ferrari car. On the winner’s podium, Leclerc also pointed his finger to the sky while holding the trophy in the air with his other hand.
“I won the race, but I lost a friend,” Leclerc was quoted as saying after the race by, among others, “Spiegel”. “It was difficult because it was the first time I was driving on a track where I had lost a friend.” He therefore dedicated his victory entirely to Hubert.
Charles Leclerc and Anthoine Hubert have known each other since childhood. Even as children, the two raced against each other in kart racing and spent a lot of time together. At times, the two even lived together, reported “Motorsport”.
Sources used: formula1.com, instagram.com, mirror.co.uk, speedweek.com, spiegel.de, de.motorsport.com