Charles Leclerc and the Ferrari Formula 1 team were celebrating a historic victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, diving headfirst into Port Hercules and somehow forgetting they had some very expensive Richard Mille timepieces on their wrists.
Charles Leclerc is a Monaco Grand Prix winner. It’s a profound achievement for the Ferrari driver worthy of a Hollywood script, realising a lifelong ambition and a promise made to his late father that he would one day win his fabled home circuit. For all the naysayers who’ve decided that this Formula 1 season has been a predictable slog, you haven’t really been paying attention.
Around the paddock, rival teams and drivers joined in the admiration for the young Monagasque driver; it was clear how much this win meant to him, securing victory for his team and putting increased pressure on this season’s defending champion Max Verstappen and the stuttering Red Bulls… and the Ferrari team celebrated in true champion’s fashion.
WATCH Charles Leclerc follows Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur into Monaco’s Port Hercules wearing $300K Richard Mille below.
Charles Leclerc’s Monaco Grand Prix celebrations
Together with his team and race engineers, who have helped him through every step of his Ferrari career, Charles Leclerc was in a celebratory mood – it was a moment that the young Monagasque driver has waited his entire life to savour.
Leclerc was joined by team principal Fred Vasseur, who deserves a lot of credit for a stellar Ferrari season and another P1 and P3 here in Monaco as Carlos Sainz Jr. also found the podium.
Still in the iconic red Ferrari jumpsuit, Leclerc and Vasseur were ready to celebrate, lining up on the jetty, primed to jump into the inviting waters in Monaco’s Port Hercules… forgetting they were wearing Richard Milles, the team’s official watch partner, worth €200,000 EUR (~$300,000 AUD).
Richard Mille RM72-01 Flyback Chronograph
Instantly recognisable by the brand’s signature tonneau-shaped case, the Richard Mille RM72-01 Flyback Chronograph is a contemporary classic. Made with premium materials such as aerospace grade 5 polished titanium or red and white gold, the RM72-01 stands out with its sporty and sophisticated aesthetic; the perfect instrument for a Formula 1 Grand Prix-winning side.
On the dial, Charles Leclerc’s RM boasts a skeletonised display to reveal the Swiss Luxury watchmaker’s revered CRMC1 automatic movement; the first chronograph movement entirely developed and manufactured by Richard Mille. It features a cool flyback chronograph function, allowing for instant reset and restart of the timer with a single press – the perfect tool for the demands of motorsport.
Luckily for Leclerc and Vasseur, the Richard Mille RM72-01’s tripartite case is assembled using 20 grade 5 titanium spline screws and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel; the watch itself is water resistant up to 30 metres, which, after a quick Google, the depth of Monaco’s Port Hercules is not.
Dive away then, lads.