The biggest myth about Monaco, according to someone I know who was born and brought up there, is that everybody is rich. That’s categorically not true, he states. Those who come to Monaco tend to be rich, and there’s an army of people working for them in Monaco whose mission is to make them even richer. But the actual Monegasques themselves? Most are just ordinary people, who by an accident of geography just happen to be born within the wealthiest principality in the world.
That person who told the story is Charles Leclerc, and in 2024 he finally exorcised the demons of years past by achieving his ultimate dream: winning the Monaco Grand Prix. Not only did he win – it was a commanding, emotionally-charged drive from pole to chequered flag – but he also wrote one of the most heartfelt chapters in recent Formula 1 memory. The scenes on the podium were pure cinema: Leclerc, tears in his eyes, saluting the red sea of Ferrari fans below as the Monegasque anthem played.
For Charles, this was no ordinary victory. It was personal. The same streets where he once rode the bus to school had now become the very roads over which he’d triumphed in front of his hometown crowd. He became the first Monegasque to win the Grand Prix since Louis Chiron in 1931.
In 2025 that fairytale chapter gave way to something equally poignant, if not quite as triumphant: Leclerc finished second, behind a resurgent Lando Norris in the McLaren, whose car looked almost surgically dialled into the tight corners of the Principality all weekend.
But if 2024 was Leclerc’s moment of catharsis, 2025 was proof that his relationship with his home race was no longer one of heartbreak, but maturity. The podium ceremony saw him once again bathed in Monegasque sunlight, standing proudly with the Prince looking on and a flag-waving crowd erupting with affection. It wasn’t a win, but it was still a homecoming.
It’s worth remembering just how improbable this all once seemed. Until 2024, Leclerc’s Monaco record read like a catalogue of despair: crashes in qualifying, retirements from the lead and pitwall mistakes that left even hardened Ferrari fans shaking their heads. Six full seasons without a single podium finish in the one place he wanted it most. The Monaco Grand Prix was a ghost he couldn’t outrun. But 2024 changed that narrative forever.
His mother, a hairdresser based in Fontvieille and his late father, who held a modest job in management, were ever-present in his post-race reflections again this year. For all the millions that flow through the streets of Monte Carlo each May, Leclerc remains a touchstone of the principality’s rarely discussed working class core: a reminder that Monaco, for all its spectacle, is still home to 39,000 people, most of whom aren’t sipping rosé on a yacht.
It’s a contrast that fascinates and frustrates in equal measure. Monaco is, after all, a byword for excess. The Grand Prix weekend isn’t just a motor race: it’s a showroom of power, wealth, fashion and watchmaking precision. And no brand embodies that union quite like TAG Heuer, whose links with the Monaco race are now decades deep. The famous square-faced Monaco chronograph was originally launched in 1969 and immortalised by Steve McQueen in the famous ‘Le Mans’ movie. In 2025, it found new relevance and new heroes.
But here’s something that most people don’t know: Leclerc is not only a watch fan himself but also a shareholder in Chrono24, the online luxury watch marketplace, alongside his brother Lorenzo. His extensive personal collection ranges from independent Swiss microbrands to historic Rolex and Audemars Piguet references, saying:
“The world of watches has captivated me for a long time. It’s one of my great passions and the connection it builds among collectors and enthusiasts is something I really value. This investment is not just financial; it’s emotional. I want to be part of this world beyond simply collecting.”
There are whispers that Leclerc is working on a limited-edition watch of his own with a boutique Swiss brand, potentially even a Monaco-specific piece drawing from the visual language of his home circuit. Ferrari’s ever-deepening relationship with high-end design houses only adds fuel to that speculation.
Searches for watches linked to Leclerc spiked during the weekend, especially models he’s worn publicly, such as the Richard Mille RM 67-02 or his vintage Omega Speedmaster. On Chrono24, listings mentioning “Leclerc provenance” are beginning to appear. Collectors are paying attention.
Of course, watches are just one part of the show in Monaco. The principality’s racing pedigree is deep and surprising. Another fact that not many know is that Daniel Elena, the co-driver who helped Sébastien Loeb to nine WRC titles, also hails from Monaco.
His father worked on the door of the famous Casino de Monte-Carlo and his mother was a cleaner. Elena, like Leclerc, proved that motorsport greatness can come from modest beginnings in the world’s most extravagant postcode.
Monaco is a place of contrasts and always has been. There are the fairytale yachts, the trillion-dollar skyline, the 300kph ballet of cars through the harbour’s tight chicanes. But behind the glitz, there’s a quieter story. One of childhood dreams that come true.
Leclerc added:
“When I was young, me and my brother used to watch the race with our noses pressed up against the fence. And I thought that one day this would be me – although I’m sure that nobody believed me!”
In 2025, that quieter story became louder than ever. Charles Leclerc may not have won his second Monaco Grand Prix, but he reminded everyone watching that authenticity still counts for something. The boy who once watched Formula 1 through a chain-link fence at Sainte-Dévote had now stood on the podium two years in a row. And that’s almost worth as much as a championship to him.
Author Bio:
Anthony Peacock works as a journalist and is the owner of an international communications agency, all of which has helped take him to more than 80 countries across the world.
Photographs courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari HP
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