Charles Leclerc Crashes Niki Lauda's Legendary 1974 Ferrari

Charles Leclerc was left red-faced after crashing Niki Lauda's iconic 1974 Ferrari into a wall at Monaco.

Leclerc, who is the current F1 championship leader this season, was lucky enough to get the opportunity to take Lauda's classic car for a spin on his home track.

As Ferrari's current star, racing through the streets where you were raised while sitting in the same seat as a Ferrari legend, there would have undoubtedly been some surreal emotions heading into the drive for Leclerc.

But unfortunately for the 24-year-old, it all ended in tears.

Despite starting off so strongly, what was meant to be a beautiful occasion quickly turned into a nightmare when Leclerc spun out and the rear of the Ferrari 312 B3 collided with a wall on the circuit.

"Talk about boyhood dream, to grow up in Monaco," the broadcaster said.

But in a typical case of the commentators curse, Leclerc's "boyhood dream" came crashing down.

At first you could hear the tyres screech before you eventually heard a big bang as bits and pieces of the car went flying off everywhere.

Clearly gutted, and probably slightly embarrassed, the Frenchman simply looked down with his head in his hands.

He did manage to get the engine started again and pulled away from the debris, but there was huge chunks of the car still hanging off the rear as he returned to the pits.

To make things worse, the car has an estimated worth of £1 million.

Leclerc took to social media after the incident to have his say.

He tweeted: "When you thought you already had all the bad luck of the world in Monaco and you lose the brakes into rascasse with one of the most iconic historical Ferrari Formula 1 car."

Interestingly, this isn't the first time the Ferrari 312 B3 has been crashed since retiring.

This time last year, and in Monaco toom, Jean Alesi spun out while doing a similar demonstration of the vehicle.

While the crimson car is simply beautiful to look at, Lauda didn't have much luck with it back in 1974, finishing fourth in the overall standings with Emerson Fittipaldi being crowned champion.

Featured Image Credit: Twitter

Topics: Australia, Formula 1, Monaco

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry