Monaco Grand Prix: Leclerc Steps up in Home Race Amid Ferrari Struggles
Ferrari-bound Leclerc faces home game strife amidst Bitter Monaco Showdown Potentially Endangering Relationship
Monaco - Charles Leclerc has reiterated his determination ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, his home race on the narrow streets of the principality. "We're not ready to give up on this season just yet," said the Ferrari driver, who won the prestigious Formula 1 race in Monaco last year. As a child, Leclerc closely followed the event, and his ambition is to repeat the victory with a subsequent celebratory leap into the harbor on Sunday (3:00 PM/Sky).
Is a repeat of last year's success realistic? "There's a glimmer of hope that we might surprise, but on paper, it doesn't look good," Leclerc admitted. The stubborn Ferrari has been less than cooperative this season, to the disappointment of the Scuderia team. In practice, Leclerc managed the fastest time despite a minor crash, giving a glimmer of hope for improvement. However, the competition is right on Ferrari's tail.
After seven races, Leclerc is fifth in the overall standings, trailing leader Oscar Piastri by 85 points in the McLaren. It seems unlikely that Leclerc will challenge for the world championship title again this year.
Ferrari's Ongoing Struggles
Kimi Raikkonen was the last Ferrari driver to win the world championship, in 2007. Since then, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have also fallen short of securing the title for the Reds. Leclerc is keen to avoid adding his name to that list. "I'd like to figure out what's going wrong with the car," Leclerc said in the Monaco paddock. "It's not clear when or how we can close the gap and start winning again."
Team partner and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at least provided a small glimmer of hope with his sprint win in China, while Leclerc's only podium of the season was a third place in Saudi Arabia. This isn't nearly enough for the driver many once saw as a future world champion in his seventh year with Ferrari.
Monaco's Tight Corners Pose Challenge
The main problem for Ferrari in Monaco lies in slow corners. "And there are only slow corners here," Leclerc noted. It's a frustrating situation for the entire team. To have any chance of a top result in the Grand Prix, Leclerc will need to qualify as far forward as possible on Saturday.
For the 2022 vice-world champion, this is particularly important in Monaco. As a child, he used to ride the school bus over the legendary circuit, and the Grand Prix was a family holiday. "It's still magical when Formula 1 comes here," said Leclerc's younger brother, Arthur, who shares his ambition to race in Formula 1 as a 24-year-old in Ferrari's junior program.
At the swimming pool bend, the Leclercs used to watch the race in awe. "The engines were so loud that I cried because it hurt so much," said Arthur Leclerc. His parents had to buy him earplugs. In 2024, his brother became the first Monegasque to win in his home country since the race's debut in 1950.
Hope for Qualifying Success
In the days leading up to the Grand Prix, Leclerc's face is everywhere in the city of some 39,000 inhabitants. On posters in the underground station, around the circuit, and of course in the paddock. "That day was very special for me," Leclerc recalled. He's already started from pole position three times. On Saturday, he plans to create "something magical" in qualifying. "I don't give up that hope. My motivation here is always particularly high."
The only ten meters wide asphalt strip in Monaco, often even narrower, makes mistakes in qualifying on the iconic circuit with its tunnel and Rascasse curve costly.
Not Just Leclerc Feels at Home in Monaco
A new rule requiring two mandatory pit stops aims to make race Sundays in Monaco more exciting by adding more strategic options. Drivers will have to work hard, with barriers close by, and a small mistake quickly leading to elimination. "Monaco is special for every driver," said Leclerc. While he has spent his entire life in the luxurious city, many of his colleagues also have a residence on the French Riviera.
This isn't just due to the safety and discretion offered to the affluent, but also because of the tax advantages. Those who can prove they have enough money to live in Monaco benefit from income tax exemption, and there is no wealth or property tax either.
Among the Monaco residents are Hamilton, Verstappen, and McLaren’s Norris, some of the biggest names in the sport. German driver Nico Hülkenberg of the Kick Sauber team has lived there since 2015. Although it will be a home race for them as well, it means more for Leclerc, who, along with his brother Arthur, shares a deep connection with the historic Monaco Grand Prix.
- Leclerc shared that he'd like to understand the problems with the Ferrari car to avoid joining the list of Ferrari drivers who fell short of winning the world championship.
- The tight corners in Monaco pose a significant challenge for Ferrari, and Leclerc needs to qualify as far forward as possible in Saturday's qualifying to have any chance of a top result in the Grand Prix.
