Charles Leclerc pays tribute to his father and Jules Bianchi for his 150th Formula 1 Grand Prix
This weekend, at the Japanese Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc will reach a major milestone in his Formula 1 career: his 150th Grand Prix start. A milestone charged with emotion and memories.
On April 6, 2025, on the legendary Suzuka track, Charles Leclerc will make his 150th Formula 1 start. More than seven years will have passed since his debut in the premier class on March 25, 2018, at the wheel of a Sauber C37 at the Australian Grand Prix, where he crossed the line in 13th position. Since that first F1 appearance, the Monegasque has continued to climb the ranks, culminating in a move to the legendary Scuderia Ferrari in 2019, where he has established himself as one of the team’s pillars. To celebrate this milestone, Leclerc has chosen to pay tribute to his career with a unique helmet, specially made for the event. “You may be wondering what makes this year’s Japanese Grand Prix so special… Well, it’s simply my 150th start in Formula 1. It’s crazy when I think about it. I feel like I started yesterday, with this dream in my head of becoming an F1 driver. I’d never have imagined joining Ferrari so early in my career, always driven by the same goal: to become world champion. And this helmet tells just that story,” he confided on Instagram.
A tribute to his father and Jules Bianchi
True to its tradition of marking the milestones of its career, Leclerc unveiled a helmet entirely hand-painted. The number “150”, discreet but present, underlines the symbolic significance of this Grand Prix. As usual, Leclerc was keen to include two figures who are important to him: “Obviously, I’ve got my father, and Jules on the helmet, as always. Japan is also a very special place because of what happened here a few years ago. It’s always quite moving to come back.” A tribute to his friend Jules Bianchi, whose story is intimately linked to that of the Suzuka circuit. On October 5, 2014, the French driver was the victim of a terrible accident on the same track, in the pouring rain. Plunged into a coma for nine months, he died on July 17, 2015, becoming the first driver to lose his life in F1 since Ayrton Senna in 1994. Leclerc, who still considers Jules to be a tutelary figure in his career, never missed an opportunity to pay tribute to him.
Source Article : https://lobservateurdemonaco.com/infos/charles-leclerc-rend-hommage-a-son-pere-et-a-jules-bianchi-pour-son-150eme-grand-prix-en-formule-1/
