Charles Leclerc of Ferrari after Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco in Monaco on May 26, 2023. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via AP)

An emotional Charles Leclerc said his victory of the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix was a shared dream with his late father, Hervé.

Leclerc claimed his first victory at home -and of the season- since starting his F1 career back in 2018 in what was a race with a chaotic start that saw a prolonged red-flag period.

Speaking after the race, the Monegasque said he was “thinking about my dad while driving, he has given everything for me to be here.”

Leclerc’s father passed away after a long illness in 2017, aged 54.

“It was our dream to race and win here. It’s unbelievable,” he said in tears.

“We had 78 laps to do on the same set of tires which was very, very difficult. We managed them well.

“There was a part we had to manage the gap with George [Russell], then I could push towards the end. Thank you to the team,” the Ferrari driver said.

“It’s the race that made me dream of becoming a driver one day.”