Charles Leclerc and Monaco — a love story that refused to feature a happy ending for more than seven years. Arguably the most popular figure from the small principality, all Leclerc wanted was to win a Grand Prix on the very streets he grew up in. But that just didn’t happen.
It gave birth to the phrase ‘Monaco Curse’ which only Leclerc was associated with. From engine issues to crashes to pit-stop mishaps — a world of misfortune would follow Leclerc every time he suited up for a race on the Mediterranean shores.
Then came the 2024 Monaco GP, a race extensively covered by Netflix’s crew, who were filming Drive to Survive.
A bunch of drivers, including Valtteri Bottas and George Russell, and journalist Will Buxton all came together in the fifth episode of season seven to highlight just how unlucky Leclerc had been in Monaco. Alex Albon joined in too, but unlike the others, he had an interesting solution to the problem.
Turn to religion.
“If he wants… I can always take him to a Thai temple and get a blessing. I know a good monk,” the Williams driver said with a smile.
ALEX SAYING HE COULD TAKE CHARLES TO A THAI TEMPLE TO BLESS HIM IF CHARLES WANTED TO pic.twitter.com/SL6Zqjhwny
— clara (@leclercsletters) March 7, 2025
Albon, most likely, wasn’t just joking. A practicing Buddhist, Albon has spoken about faith on numerous occasions, including once in 2024 when he revealed that he visited a temple in Milton Keynes before the Las Vegas GP to pray for a change in fortune after a run of bad luck during his campaign with Williams.
Whether Leclerc actually went to a Thai temple with Albon, he didn’t reveal on the show. But the Monaco GP weekend in 2024 — for the first time ever in his life — ended on a euphoric note.
Curse or misfortune, Leclerc overcame it all
While most drivers in the episode went ahead and called Leclerc’s Monaco woes a ‘curse’, his friend, Pierre Gasly refused to take that road. He simply labeled it as ‘misfortune’, which suggested that victory was bound to come, sooner rather than later.
And it did in 2024 itself.
Leclerc drove a brilliant race and dominated from the start to the finish to stand on the top step of the podium in the streets of Monte Carlo. It was a huge relief for the Monegasque driver, who also never believed in any curse.
Aw, Charles #F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/FdmLTxQjG2
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 26, 2024
“I really don’t believe in bad luck or curse,” Leclerc said in the same Drive to Survive episode. “Even though I don’t believe in it, I hate hearing it.”
Thankfully for Leclerc, he won’t have to anymore. Whatever curse or misfortune there was next to his name in Monaco has been lifted, and he will suit up for the prestigious race in 2025 as its most recent winner. Who says no to a Leclerc Monaco back-to-back?
