Charles Leclerc: Prince of Monaco

“The Grandstands he saw built as a kid growing up, now rise for him.” — Alex Jacques

I knew Charles Leclerc would win the Monaco Grand Prix the second he put in a 1.11.584 during qualifying, getting pole position. Call it an inkling, but while my friends were biting their nails with anxiety, I sat with my arms crossed, knowing Charles Leclerc would be a Monaco race winner.

At first I wasn’t too happy about it. I was indifferent. “If it’s not George Russell, I don’t really care who wins,” I like to say.

While the final laps ticked down and my Ferrari obsessed friend was squirming next to me, I stared blankly at the TV.

“Yeah, he’s going to win,” I told my friend on Lap 70. She looked at me like I was crazy.

“Don’t jinx it! Anything could happen.” I smirked because nothing was going to happen. Charles Leclerc would cross that line and break the Monaco curse. And that he did.

The second the commentator started the victory speech, I felt a smile creep up on me. And as Charles neared the finish line, I was grinning from ear to ear. I watched with such focus as he screamed into his radio, parked the car, and then ran over to his team.

Scuderia Ferrari are more than a team, though. They are historic. When you think of Formula 1, you think red. You think Ferrari. But it’s not just the history, it’s the passion. You can see it clear as day. The way they throw their arms around each other and holler the Italian anthem like they’ve never done it before. The looks on their faces and the tears that are shed during the good and the bad, you can see it. Scuderia Ferrari are more than a team, because they’re not a team at all. They’re a family.

And Charles Leclerc is the proud son of this family. The sun of Maranello, shining and glimmering in all his beauty. He is a gorgeous man, but he will never be as beautiful as he was when he won Monaco on the Sunday. The way he pointed to the sky, probably wondering if his father was witnessing the greatest moment of his sons life. The way he jumped into the arms of his team, who have been there for him since he was just a 20 year old Sauber driver with a dream. And the way he held the Monaco flag around his shoulders with such pride for his country as the crowds roared his name, he can never be more beautiful than in that moment.

Charles Leclerc, the Predestined, the Prince of Monaco. He is home.