F1: 5 things you need to know about Ferrari’s 2019 driver Charles Leclerc

Ferrari dropped a bombshell, albeit an expected one, today after they announced that their driver Kimi Raikkonen had been released by the team for the 2019 season. The announcement came as a shock to fans of the Iceman who would have felt confident following an impressive outing in Monza where Kimi somehow managed to break the all-time record for the fastest lap in an F1 car.

But the writing was on the wall after it became apparent that Raikkonen's age may have been catching up to him, and there was no way the Italian giants were going to lose out on an opportunity to win the title by letting go of Sebastian Vettel. So, as things stand, Kimi is out of Ferrari, but has found asylum in Sauber, where he makes a glorious return after 17 years.

So who have Ferrari replaced their former World Champion with in the coveted seat? None other than 20-year-old Charles Leclerc. The youngster is about to live his dream next season and couldn't be more excited to start this new journey, having proven himself in a very short time at Sauber this season. Considering the little we know about Leclerc, it is fair to say that a crash course on the driver would be more than welcome.

Here are 5 things you should know about Ferrari's latest acquisition:

#5 Leclerc was a Ferrari junior driver

It is imperative to note that Ferrari haven't just shot in the dark with this particular signing, but have been keeping a close eye on the progress of their young prodigy for quite a while. After impressing on the karting circuit alongside able drivers such as Max Verstappen, Leclerc popped up on the Ferrari radar and soon became a member of the famed Ferrari driver academy - a place where young drivers can be trained and groomed into the stars they are today.

Other drivers making it big from the academy today include the likes of Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez.