Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc and his wife Alexandra took to social media to celebrate the arrival of their baby girl, Bianca. Model Olivia Ponton, girlfriend of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, was amongst the millions to send her love to the new parents.
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Charles Leclerc and his wife posted on Instagram on Wednesday, November 4, to share the wonderful news with their fans. The post, simply captioned “Bianca 🤍 3.11.26,” showed off the tiny feet of their daughter, wrapped up in cute pink knits and soft white socks. It received over 5.5 million likes and 67K+comments within 4 hours at the time of writing.
Olivia Ponton commented on the adorable post, writing “Congratulations 🎀🎀”. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model has been dating Bengals star Joe Burrow since late 2024. However, the couple had to go public with their relationship when Burrow’s home in Ohio was targeted in an attempted break-in during December 2024.
The couple has been linked together in recent months, with Ponton having already attended the Miami Grand Prix with Burrow. She often circles in the same high-end fashion circles as Charles Leclerc’s wife, Alexandra. Both have huge followings on social media, so her comment was a hit with fans.
The newborn’s name also touched an emotional chord among fans. While the couple has not officially confirmed the inspiration, fans in the comments immediately noticed the symbolic link between Bianca and Leclerc’s late godfather, close friend and mentor, Jules Bianchi, who tragically passed away in 2015 following his 2014 Japanese Grand Prix crash.
As one fan comment pointed out, “this one’s for jules🥹🩷.”
“Congrats! Is she named after Jules Bianchi? Name is kinda similar,” asked another.
Many of Charles Leclerc’s fellow drivers also commented on the post.
Oscar Piastri wrote “Congrats to you both!” whilst long-time friend Pierre Gasly added “Congrats!!! ❤️”
Even the official accounts got involved, with Formula 1 writing “Congratulations!! 🩷” and PUMA Motorsport writing “Congratulations ❤️ such a lovely little family!”
Grammy-nominated singer Charlie Puth also commented “Congratulations to you both!!!” whilst an F1 fan account commented on the couple’s initials and how they spell out ABC with the baby’s, writing: “ABC. Alex. Bianca. Charles. Congrats to the new parents❤️”
The news comes as Leclerc has had a busy week. The 29-year-old left Mexico City straight after the Mexico Grand Prix on Sunday to fly back to Monaco to be present for his daughter’s birth on Tuesday. He took a break from his preparations for the upcoming São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos.
Due to arriving late in Brazil, Leclerc will not be taking part in Free Practice 1 on Friday. Instead, Dino Beganovic will drive Leclerc’s SF-26. This means Ferrari can complete their rookie test obligation and gives Leclerc more time to prepare for qualifying.
The birth of Leclerc’s baby is a much-needed positive after a frustrating weekend in Mexico. After getting into a collision with his teammate Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, there was some tension in the Ferrari garage.
The birth brings an emotional full-circle moment for Leclerc. Back in 2017, days before his father Hervé passed away, Charles told him a gentle white lie that he had signed an F1 contract, turning it into reality a month later. Now, stepping into Free Practice 2 on Friday, he drives as a father himself for the first time ever.