After a two-month hiatus, Formula 1 is back.
And whilst that has got us all excited, the off-season happenings are worth a bit of limelight. Most notably, Ferrari golden boy Charles Leclerc has married his partner Alexandra Saint-Mleux in a picture-perfect wedding.
The pair married in Monaco on February 28th, alongside close friends, family, and their beloved miniature long-haired dachshund Leo. The secrecy of the event meant no press, which is understandable for someone who garners the spotlight year-round, but it was what followed the ceremony that particularly caught our attention, with the two escaping in a very special getaway car.
The getaway car in question? A $40 million 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
The open cockpit Ferrari is one of only 33 ever produced, with this particular model likely the one from the Ferrari Heritage Collection. These typically fetch $12 to $40 million depending on chassis number and provenance, but there is a good chance the one Charles and Alexandra drove through the Monégasque streets sits at the higher end of that range.
Testa Rossa translates to Red Head, a reference to the red painted valve covers on its 3.0 litre Colombo V12 engine. It produces 300hp at 7,200rpm, has a 270km/h top speed, which is remarkable for a car of that era, drum brakes and a 2.35m wheelbase.
The bodywork was sculpted by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. The pontoon fenders, long sweeping bonnet and wide oval grille made it one of the most recognisable shapes in motorsport history. It won Le Mans three times (1958, 1960 and 1961), the 12 Hours of Sebring three times, the Targa Florio and the 1000km of Buenos Aires. Safe to say the car was ahead of its time.
As well as giving the wedding-white newlyweds a sendoff to remember, it was a spectacular marketing moment for Ferrari, with the re-release of an updated 2026 model, the Ferrari 849 Testarossa. It sits at $950,000 before on-road costs and runs a hybrid twin-turbo V8 producing 1,035hp.
It was a smart move tying the knot before the 24-race calendar begins, with the pair having announced their engagement on November 2nd 2025, between the Mexico and Brazilian Grands Prix. Leclerc joins Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez as one of only three married drivers currently on the grid.
He will be hoping to bounce back this year, with regulation changes tipped to benefit the Scuderia. 2025 was a tough year, going winless with seven podiums and one pole, but pre-season testing has shown some promise.