Charles Leclerc will be praying his Monaco curse does not strike him ahead of his home race. However, the Monegasque can achieve a hattrick of poles in Monaco and possibly win his first race of the season.
The Red Bull RB19 has achieved victories in all the races so far. However, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have admitted that their car will struggle in the slow, twisty Monte Carlo street circuit.
Ferrari has shown pace in FP1 and FP2 and has opened a small gap over Red Bull on qualifying trim. If the Prancing Horse occupies the front grid on Saturday, they can ensure their best chances to secure a win in Sunday’s race.
Can Charles Leclerc secure the pole in the 2023 Monaco GP
Though he has suffered misfortunes for 5 years, Leclerc has secured the pole position in the 2020 and 2021 Monaco GP. However, the driver could break his Monaco curse as Ferrari has found the sweet spot of pace and performance for the SF-23.
According to data analyzed by F1, the Italian team has opened a slim lead of 0.08 seconds over championship leaders Red Bull. This means, if Leclerc or Carlos Sainz manage to get a clean lap without any hindrances, then they can almost assure a front-row start.
Monaco is notoriously difficult to overtake. The slow and narrow street circuit features 22 corners which barely see any on-track action. This will be a big challenge for Red Bull, who have admitted to not having high hopes for the race.
However, rain or any incidents that bring out the safety car during the race could hamper Ferrari’s hopes. Leclerc will also fend off an in-form Fernando Alonso-led Aston Martin, and Mercedes, who have an improved car for the weekend.
Leclerc confident of Ferrari beating Red Bull in Monaco
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz showed good pace during the FP1 and FP2 of the 2023 Monaco GP. The driver was satisfied with his performance on Friday. Despite suffering a crash in FP2, Leclerc is confident that his team can secure a good position on Saturday.
He emphasized the need to qualify in Monaco. He told F1, “Qualifying is everything here. There’s lots of talk about my last race but qualifying has always been one of my strengths so I’m not worried, I’ll go for it, and let’s see what happens.”
Team Principal Fred Vasseur also feels Ferrari can give Red Bull their first taste of defeat in the 2023 season. However, securing a pole remains crucial for Scuderia’s plans to work.
He said, “Since the beginning of the season, we have always been able to fight for pole position. If you can start from the front row on the Monaco circuit, you expect to be able to fight for the win. It’s certainly a good opportunity for us.”
Sainz topped FP1 with his teammate finishing P5 in the morning session. However, the Monegasque found improvement in the second session, finishing P2 ahead of P3 Sainz.
