Charles Leclerc kicks off Racing Stars Football Cup charity match ahead of Monaco GP

The annual Racing Stars Football Cup charity match took place yesterday, ahead of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix.

The annual Racing Stars Football Cup took place at Monaco's Stade Louis II on Wednesday, 21 May, bringing together former and current Formula 1 drivers and celebrities for a charity football match ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. Home hero Charles Leclerc kicked off the event, but didn't take part in the game.

Two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen served as the ambassador. Commenting ahead of the event, the Finnish former driver explained:

“I was honoured and thrilled when Louis Ducruet and his team asked me to be part of this initiative, especially since the event will support two important causes. I strongly encourage everyone to come and be part of the celebration this year.”

Proceeds from the Racing Stars Football Cup, which has now been held for over three decades, will go to two different charities, both of which are linked to motorsport. First is the Jules Bianchi Association, which was established after the F1 driver's tragic passing in 2015, and supports the Archet Hospital in Nice. Jules' father, Philippe Bianchi, commented:

“This initiative touches me deeply, as it will bring together several F1 drivers just before the Monaco Grand Prix, which was so important for Jules.”

The second cause is Be Safe Monaco, founded by Camille Gottlieb, which aims to raise awareness around the dangers of drinking and driving. Gottlieb stated:

“Having personalities from the world of motorsport involved clearly helps amplify our message. Being part of such an event is a privilege and validates the relevance of our cause.”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

The match featured an impressive lineup of F1 drivers taking on the Barbagiuans - a team made up of football and other sporting legends. Alpine driver Pierre Gasly acted as captain of the F1 drivers' team, with Williams' Carlos Sainz, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, and rookie drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman joining him on the team.

Speaking to the media, including Motorsport.com, on Thursday, Gasly commented on the match:

“Well, the enjoyment is probably 100 out of 10. I love football, I love playing, I love the feeling. I used to play when I was a kid and I absolutely loved every single game and practice and to be able to play in this sort of event, especially in an iconic stadium, kind of remind me of some of my dreams I had when I was a kid. So, to me it's incredible to live this moment and then on top to be able to share a moment where you get the drivers which, you know, ultimately are your rivals when you get to the track, to work together it's quite a unique feeling. So yesterday, I’m with Isack on my left, trying to work out how to score a goal, to defend together with Carlos.

“It's just a nice event and a nice way to get into the Monaco race weekend and on top of that, we do it for charities. There was the Jules Foundation Association yesterday that we supported and it's just great to gather a lot of people. The fans are happy. We are happy. We get some money to support those charities, so it's just a great win for everybody, but it's unique to Monaco and it's always a great highlight of the weekend.”

Hadjar also explained:

“Yeah, it was tough on the legs. It was really tough, I never actually played 11 against 11 on a real size pitch, you know, so that's done for me. It was weird. It was really hard, much harder than I expected. I realised also my muscles are not made for football, you know, changing directions and it was tough.

“Pierre nearly got injured not injured.”

After Gasly confirmed that he was okay, Hadjar added: “Something could give up anytime, you know, I felt weak.”

When asked if Hadjar has a future at FC Versailles, Gasly responded:

“No, I mean in the management, yeah, maybe. I like his mentality and his team spirit, so not on the pitch. He runs, I must say he's a great player because he's just go all out, same as on track. He's the same on the pitch. So I'm not too sure for the body is the best, but at least for the team, it's great."