Charles Leclerc will also be at the helm of Ferrari in the 2023 Formula 1 championship: here’s his biography and the salary received by the Maranello team after the renewal.
Charles Leclerc from a great bet by Ferrari has now become a splendid reality: after his excellent debut in 2019, the Maranello team has decided to bet on him to return to being the protagonist in Formula 1.
In the 2019 championship he became the youngest driver ever to win a Grand Prix aboard a Ferrari, so much so that he deserved a contract renewal just one year after, complete with a salary adjustment.
But who is this young driver who has rekindled the enthusiasm of the Ferrari fans? So let’s take a look at his biography and how much he earns, with his salary having taken a sharp rise following his renewal with Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc’s biography
In the world of Formula 1, the story of Charles Leclerc would seem to be that of the predestined classic, given not only the skill demonstrated at the wheel of the single-seaters but also his coolness and intelligence.
Born in the Principality of Monaco on October 16, 1997, the young driver’s life has so far been marked by two painful mourning: the death of his father at the age of only 54 and that of his friend Jules Bianchi, the unfortunate colleague who died in 2015.
“Jules was my godfather - the boy recently declared - he was like family to me. I gave everything for him, but I also remember my father, who started supporting me right from karting. For both, their only dream was to see me in Formula 1. I bet they will be happy up there”.
In fact, Leclerc took his first steps in the world of four wheels as a child in the kartodromo of Brignoles managed by his own Bianchi’s father. Despite the age difference, eight years to be precise, there was a very close relationship with Jules.
After the first successes with the kart, in 2014 he moved to the Formula Renault 2.0 racing for the British team Fortec Motorsports. Despite being at his debut, he finished the championship in 2nd place, obtaining a total of two victories and seven podiums.
In 2015 then comes the transition to Formula 3 closing the season in 4th place. After graduating as champion in GP3, he was called in 2016 to join the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Beginning his first experiences with the red car as a test driver, in 2017 he took part with Prema Racing in the Formula 2 championship: with seven victories and ten podiums out of twenty-two races, Leclerc wins the championship.
The move to Formula 1 in 2018 with the Sauber team was therefore inevitable. After a difficult start, the Monegasque driver shines in the second part of the season, eventually finishing in 13th place with 39 points conquered.
With the 2018 championship still underway, on 11 September Ferrari announced that Charles Leclerc will be a driver of the red car in 2019 alongside Sebastian Vettel, thus taking over from Kimi Raikkonen.
The debut with the Reds in 2019 was immediately impressive with the fourth in the general standings; in total with Ferrari he has won 5 grand prix so far, finishing in second place in the drivers’ championship in 2022 behind Max Verstappen.
Salary
With an announcement that was in the air, however, the Maranello team made it official in September 2018 that Charles Leclerc would be one of the two official Ferrari drivers for the next two championships.
Although the official figures of the agreement were not disclosed at the time, according to an article in the Gazzetta dello Sport the Monegasque driver was making money with the two-year contract stipulated at the time 2 million per season.
In addition to his career, it was a remarkable leap forward for Leclerc also in terms of earnings. In fact, in the previous season with Sauber his salary had been 123,000 euros.
After the first excellent season, Ferrari has decided to lock down Charles Leclerc who has signed a new contract until 2024 with a salary that should be of 9 million a year.
Original article published on Money.it Italy 2023-02-23 16:28:00. Original title: Quanto guadagna Charles Leclerc? Lo stipendio del pilota F1 della Ferrari
