The iconic F1 Monaco GP takes place this weekend and all eyes will be on hometown hero Charles Leclerc. With fans expected to gather at the circuit to cheer for the Monegasque, former Ferrari boss Jean Todt recently revealed in an interview that he hopes that Leclerc can break the Monaco GP curse because of the special connection he has with his son Nicholas.
Nicolas, who has previously managed the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Felipe Massa, and Pastor Maldonado, is currently managing Leclerc. Hence, when Jean was asked to comment on how he views Leclerc during an interview with Monaco Info, he replied, “A particularly emotional look since my son is his manager“.
Quel regard vous portez sur Charles :
Jean Todt : “Un regard particulièrement affectif puisque mon fils est son manager […] C’est un pilote extrêmement talentueux et il mérite vraiment de gagner ce Grand Prix de Monaco…”#F1 #Charles16 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/a26EIRecg2
— Charles Leclerc 16 Fan page 🇲🇨 (@Cl16__FanpageFr) May 23, 2023
Jean then went on to laud the Ferrari ace for being ‘an extremely talented driver,’ stating that he ‘really deserves to win‘ his home race. Now it remains to be seen whether Leclerc can break the Monaco GP curse in his seventh attempt.
What is the Monaco GP curse for Charles Leclerc?
Charles Leclerc, who is all set to compete in his fifth outing in Monaco this weekend, came agonizingly close to winning his home race last season when he started on pole. The 25-year-old also had the perfect start from pole, leading most of the race. However, a disastrous mix-up involving a pit stop call from Ferrari cost him the win.
Ferrari had initially asked the 25-year-old to pit before asking him to stay out at the last minute. However, by then it was too late as Leclerc had already entered the lane and in the process lost his lead, slipping down to P4.
In the end, he couldn’t make up any more places, finishing behind winner Sergio Perez, teammate Carlos Sainz, and Max Verstappen. He branded the race a ‘freaking disaster‘ (as quoted by f1.com) and demanded answers from his Ferrari team. He then also went on to slam his team for making a senseless call, stating that he didn’t ‘understand‘ it.
Even before last year, Leclerc’s luck in Monaco has never been short of rotten. Reliability issues, damage to his car, or strategy- something always goes wrong for him in Monte Carlo.
Charles Leclerc’s Monaco curse:
• 2017 F2 — DNF, Suspension
• 2017 F2 — DNF, Electrical
• 2018 F1 — DNF, Brakes
• 2019 F1 — DNF, Puncture/Damage
• 2021 F1 — DNS, Left Driveshaft
• 2022 F1 — P4, botched strategy from poleLet’s hope for a clean race this year 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fMPfcnnu7j
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) May 22, 2023
However, as surprising as it is, this was Leclerc’s best finish at his home race. In all his five other attempts (in both F1 and F2), he has either failed to start the race or failed to finish it.
Will 2023 be the year when Leclerc breaks the Monaco GP curse?
If Charles Leclerc is to break the Monaco GP curse, he and Ferrari will need to be at their best this weekend after a disappointing start to the 2023 season. Barring an outstanding third-place finish in Baku, the 25-year-old has failed to finish on the podium in any of the other races.
Consequently, Leclerc finds himself seventh in the championship with just 34 points. He is 10 points behind his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz and a whopping 85 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen.
Despite Ferrari’s struggles this year, if there is one area where the team has been reasonably competitive against the Red Bull, it is their qualifying pace. Hence, if Leclerc can get his car on pole, he will have a fantastic opportunity to win the Monaco GP, where the circuit is very narrow and overtaking is extremely difficult.
