Charles Leclerc joins forces with Cristiano Ronaldo as Ferrari star starts new adventure

Charles Leclerc has joined forces with Cristiano Ronaldo by investing in the luxury online watch marketplace, Chrono24. The Monegasque racer’s brother, Lorenzo, is also involved in the business, making this a family venture.

Speaking about his new investment, Leclerc said: “The watch world has long captivated me as one of my many passions. There’s a real unification between watch lovers around the world, and my brother and I are excited to be an even deeper part of that community through our investment involvement with Chrono24.”

Chrono24 founder and chairman Tim Stracke was also delighted to have Leclerc on board. “He has achieved an incredible legacy already very early in his life, and his prowess as a young investor is a great example of his passion for performance,” he noted.

CEO Carsten Keller later added: “These brothers are highly esteemed and share our passion for watches as well as our company’s drive for excellence. Their savvy is formidable, and together, we are poised to reach new heights.”

Leclerc is already a brand ambassador for Richard Mille and his love for luxury timepieces is well documented. The Swiss watchmaker even produced a special RM 67-02 for the Ferrari star, which eventually sold for over £1.6 million ($2m) at auction.

The Ferrari star isn’t the only F1 driver to take a keen interest in watches. Most notably, his future team-mate Lewis Hamilton is an avid timepiece fan and boasts a personal collection that totals around £535,000 in value.

While Leclerc will no doubt be excited to delve into his new business investment, the 26-year-old will first turn his attention towards the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix, at which he has a strong chance to claim back-to-back race wins.

Leclerc converted pole position into victory at his home race two weeks ago, fending off the threat of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to end his curse around the streets of Monte Carlo and cut the gap to Max Verstappen at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings to just 31 points.

With Red Bull braced for more pain around the bumpy tarmac of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend, that gap could decrease once again with Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz both strong contenders to challenge the reigning champions in Montreal.