Charles Leclerc may be one of Formula 1’s most calculating racers, but the 28-year-old Monegasque admitted that a bold off-track manoeuvre fell apart almost immediately after his civil wedding to Alexandra Saint Mleux.
Speaking on the Italian podcast The BSMT, hosted by Gianluca Gazzoli, Leclerc disclosed that the couple were forced to board a long-haul flight to Australia less than 24 hours after their civil ceremony in Monaco — not for leisure, but for the season-opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.
“We had to travel to Australia the day after the wedding,” Leclerc told Gazzoli. “Not for our honeymoon, but for the F1 race.”
Rather than accept the awkward reality of the situation, Leclerc attempted to reframe the 15,000-mile journey to Melbourne’s Albert Park as something more romantic. The effort, however, was unsuccessful. “I tried to sell the Grand Prix to Alexandra as our honeymoon,” he said. “But it didn’t work.”
Despite the honeymoon ruse failing to land, Leclerc’s form on the circuit was considerably more convincing. Starting from fourth on the grid for the first race under F1’s sweeping new 2026 technical regulations, the Ferrari driver made an aggressive launch off the line, moving through the field to seize the lead heading into Turn 1.
What followed was an intense ten-lap tactical battle with polesitter George Russell, with the two drivers exchanging the lead a total of seven times as both adapted to the sport’s complex new energy-deployment systems. Ultimately, Leclerc finished third, securing a podium behind race winner Russell and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli — a result that represented a solid opening to the championship for the Scuderia.
Leclerc and Saint Mleux’s relationship has been a consistent presence in Formula 1 media coverage over the past two seasons. The couple’s civil ceremony in Monaco marked a significant personal milestone for the Ferrari driver, who previously discussed the proposal and their early relationship in separate interviews.
The 2026 Formula 1 season marks a significant regulatory reset for the sport, with wholesale changes to car aerodynamics and power unit specifications coming into effect. Ferrari enters the campaign among the title contenders, and Leclerc’s podium on debut under the new rules will be viewed as an encouraging sign for the team’s prospects.
With a demanding race calendar stretching across multiple continents throughout the year, finding a window for a proper honeymoon is likely to remain a challenge — something Leclerc himself appeared to acknowledge, albeit with good humour, in his podcast appearance.
