Charles Leclerc Crashes Lauda’s 1974 Ferrari F1 Car at Monaco

Gif: Automobile Club de Monaco

I absolutely love the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. The biennial event allows spectators trackside and at home to watch racing machinery up to 97 years old compete on a street circuit that has been in use for over 90 years. This also creates the opportunity for million-dollar vintage racing cars to crash into Armco barriers. Though, you would never expect to see the current Formula One points leader put a 1970s Ferrari F1 car’s rear wing into the barriers.

As a part of a three-lap demonstration run during race day, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc had the opportunity to drive a 1974 Ferrari 312B3 raced in period by three-time F1 champion Niki Lauda. Lauda won his first World Drivers’ Championship in 1975, driving a 312B3. Leclerc shared the Monaco circuit with Jacky Ickx, who was behind the wheel of a 1972 Ferrari 312B2 that he raced himself.

The Monégasque F1 driver only needed a single lap to acclimate himself to piloting an early ’70s single-seater around his home track and start pushing the limit. Then as the commentary discussed Leclerc getting to experience a boyhood dream without the pressure of a race weekend, he lost control into La Rascasse. The Ferrari’s rear stepped out, and the car slide backwards into a TecPro barrier.

The rear wing of the Ferrari 312B3 was crumpled in the crash, but Leclerc was able to limp the vintage car back to the start-finish straight. While commentary mentioned oil dropped on the racing surface earlier as the likely cause, both Scuderia Ferrari and Charles Leclerc stated on social media that a brake issue caused the crash. Hopefully, he has a better run of luck during the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks. Leclerc has yet to finish his home Grand Prix since he debuted in F1 in 2018.