Charles Leclerc revealed that tears welled up in his eyes as he drove to a poignant victory for Ferrari at his home Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.
His triumph ignited a standing ovation and jubilant celebrations from the massive crowd, marking the end of his streak of misfortune on home turf and a 39-race winless drought since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
Leclerc secured a comfortable victory ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, while Red Bull endured another disappointing weekend with championship leader Max Verstappen finishing sixth and Sergio Perez crashing out on the opening lap.
His flawless performance in a lackluster and uneventful race marked the first Monaco Grand Prix win by a Monegasque driver since the Formula One world championship began in 1950.
The last Monegasque to triumph in a Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo was Louis Chiron in 1931.
Despite six previous attempts, including two from pole position, the unlucky Leclerc had never secured a podium finish.
“It’s the race that fueled my dreams of becoming a Formula One driver one day,” he said.
“And it was an emotionally challenging race because even with 15 laps to go, you’re just praying that nothing goes wrong. The emotions were already overwhelming. I found myself thinking about my dad much more than usual while driving – he sacrificed everything for me to be here. It was our shared dream for me to race here and to win, so it’s truly unbelievable.”
He admitted struggling to see clearly due to tears during the closing laps. “Not now, Charles, I told myself. Not now. I could feel it as I came out of the tunnel near the end, and I was struggling to see because I was teary-eyed,” he shared.
His father, Herve, passed away in 2017.
“No words can adequately describe this. It’s such a challenging race, and the fact that I’ve twice started on pole position and couldn’t quite clinch it makes this victory even sweeter in a way. It means a lot, obviously.”
“At first, I thought we had a considerable margin, but we knew we had to endure 78 laps on the same tires, which was very demanding. We managed the tires superbly, and there was a crucial phase of the race where we had to maintain the gap with George. In the last ten laps, I was told to push a bit more, and the car felt incredible.”
“I want to express my gratitude to the team, who have put in incredible work over the past few months. Being given the chance to finally win this race is an incredibly special feeling.”
He also mentioned receiving pre-race encouragement from the crowd.
“A massive thank you to the fans. The parade laps were unforgettable, and seeing so many familiar faces in the balconies, including friends and acquaintances, was truly special. This victory means the world to me.”
During his cool-down lap, he exclaimed to Ferrari: “Tonight – this is going to be a big night!”
On global television, he announced his plans to party at Jimmy’z nightclub and jokingly asked for a discount. “I’m going to celebrate like never before,” he exclaimed.
