Always in the starting blocks. Charles Leclerc will make his 100th F1 start in Mexico

5 wins, 18 poles, 23 podiums. The balance sheet is great and still promising for the Monegasque after only five seasons in Formula 1. After arriving in 2018 with the Australian Grand Prix for the Alfa Romeo Sauber team, Charles Leclerc has come a long way to compete with Max Verstappen for the World Championship title.

Second in the standings this 2022-2023 season with 267 points with three races remaining, the Ferrari driver will make his 100th Formula One start this Sunday at the Mexican Grand Prix. It's the perfect time to reflect on the various achievements of the man nicknamed Il Predestinato. 

From Alfa Romeo to Ferrari

When he arrived on the grid in 2018, no one could have imagined that in the space of a year, rookie Charles Leclerc would earn a place at Ferrari. But he did. 

On board his Alfa Romeo single-seater, the Montégasque scored his first points in Baku (6th), then in Spain, before managing to qualify for Q3 for the first time in France and achieving the eighth best time. He was also noticed for his recovery from 17th to 9th place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. 

His performances, more than encouraging for a newcomer, attracted the interest of some top teams. Ferrari, having hardly ever before put its trust in such a young driver, chose to compensate for Kimi Räikkönen's departure by bringing in Charles Leclerc. He thus becomes the second youngest driver (21 years old) to join the Scuderia. 

Spa & Monza 2019, then a long period without success

"At the beginning of the year, if you had told me I would have seven poles and ten podiums, I would never have believed you! It's really better than I expected. I got two incredible wins, and Monza was everything I dreamed of: standing at the top of that podium with hundreds and thousands of Tifosi. It's an experience I'll never forget." 

Everything smiles on Charles Leclerc as he begins the 2019-2020 season with Ferrari. As Sebastian Vettel's team-mate, he took pole positions and podiums, and won the Belgian Grand Prix (Spa), making him the third youngest driver to win in Formula 1 after Max Verstappen (18 years and 7 months in 2016) and Sebastian Vettel (21 years and 2 months in 2008).

His greatest victory, however, remains his race at Monza, where he held pole position from the first to the last lap, even though he was chased by other, older and more experienced drivers.  At the end of his season, he is fourth in the world ranking, ahead of his team-mate with 264 points. A huge season for a rookie. 

However, he then went through two complicated years. Ferrari's SF1000 lacked power and balance and did not allow him to compete with the other drivers on the grid. The SF21 was no better in 2021-2022. He even ends his season in 7th place in the drivers' standings, a year after entering it in 8th place, far from the glitter of 2019.

The talent to become World Champion

"My first dream was to enter the top class, my second was to win for Ferrari. I was able to achieve this. Now I want to be world champion with Ferrari," said the driver at a press conference in Mexico on Thursday. On the verge of completing his 100th race, Charles Leclerc is still showing his ambition, after a season that was as promising as it was frustrating. 

After a strong start with a win in Bahrain in March 2022, all the hopes of the Tifosi are based on this year. The F1-75, the prototype of the 2022-2023 single-seater, can finally compete with the Red Bulls and Mercedes, under the impetus of a Monegasque in form.

Winner in Australia a few weeks after Bahrain, then in Austria in May, Charles Leclerc also almost always places in the top 3 in qualifying. However, strategic errors on the part of his team or mechanical problems caused him to lose points. As a result, Max Verstappen is taking advantage of the problems within Ferrari to win and get closer to the title. The Ferrari driver, who lost a huge amount of points in the summer break, could not catch up with him. 

Charles Leclerc is therefore currently second in the drivers' standings, ahead of Sergio Pérez by just three points. But this is only a temporary setback. Far from being discouraged, the Monegasque prodigy is even more motivated than ever. 

At 25 years of age, and already a good longevity among the elite, Il Predestinato still has other hundredths of races to fight for. And to win.