WATCH: Monaco misery to Silverstone silverware – The highs and lows of Leclerc's season so far

If ever there was a perfect illustration of the highs and lows Formula 1 can produce for a driver, it was Charles Leclerc's Monaco Grand Prix this year.

The local hero had brilliantly put his unfancied Ferrari on provisional pole, before he got too close to the barriers on his second qualifying run and crashed. At first it seemed like this might have been something of a boon for the Monegasque – the crash meant none of the other drivers could beat his lap time, meaning he had secured pole position at the track where it most difficult to pass. He had a fantastic chance of taking an historic home victory in the most famous Grand Prix of them all.

READ MORE: The biggest shock, their top three drivers, and a bold prediction – Our writers on the first half of the 2021 season

But then, disaster. On his way to the grid on race day, he noticed a problem. The car was broken. He was out, before the race even started – forced to watch on as the rest of the grid raced without him.

Amazingly, he also secured pole at the following Grand Prix in Baku, but just missed out on a podium finish. He would make the rostrum at Silverstone – but it was a bittersweet achievement as he finished second after leading the race for so long.

Hit play on the video above to see all the key highs and lows from Leclerc's first half of 2021, and who knows – perhaps he can go one better when the season resumes and take his first win of the year...