Charles Leclerc has been one of the brightest prospects in F1 since his debut in 2018. Driving for Ferrari, the Monegasque is tipped to be a future world champion. On the eve of the 2024 Monaco GP, the Prince of Monaco, Albert II, has supported that narrative but has revealed one important caveat.
Speaking to David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan on the Formula for Success podcast, Albert II sang high praises for the #16 driver. Speaking about his mentality and personality, he expressed that Monaco wants to see the Ferrari man not only win his home Grand Prix but also the coveted F1 world title someday.
Despite Leclerc‘s lightning pace on track, he’s had his fair share of bad luck. Team errors and unforced driver errors have prevented him from winning a world championship. But Albert II believes, “His [Leclerc’s] time will come if he has the right car of course, and if he has the right team around him.”
The Monegasque has indeed had several difficult outings on the streets of the Principality. His first two attempts ended in DNFs, and in 2021 he did not even start the race. To this day, Charles Leclerc has not stood on the podium at the Monaco GP.
That said, this year brings a sense of optimism among the fans. The SF24 has been a quick car this season. Moreover, the advantage that Red Bull has had over its rivals in the ground-effects era of the sport has seemingly been obliterated by the likes of Ferrari and McLaren.
Can Charles Leclerc win the title this year?
Ferrari have been closer to Red Bull this year than they have ever been since 2022. Carlos Sainz even grabbed Ferrari’s first win of the season at the Australian GP. The last race weekend, at Imola, saw Ferrari bring their first upgrade package of the season.
It seemed to produce immediate results as Leclerc finished only eight seconds behind the leading pack of Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Even Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko remarked how the SF24 was actually a better package than the RB20 at Imola despite Verstappen winning the race.
: Helmut Marko identifies McLaren and Ferrari as key threats to Red Bull at the Monaco GP. With McLaren’s recent surge and Ferrari’s upgrades, Marko expects a tough qualifying session. Charles Leclerc is confident in Ferrari’s pace on his home track. #F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/beXUQfKRUy
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) May 22, 2024
The Austrian has also backed Leclerc to be setting the pace on the streets of Monte Carlo. Speaking to Motorsport.com, he said, “For qualifying he [Leclerc] is the favorite for me, yes, and qualifying is more than half the battle here.”
After his P3 finish in Imola, Leclerc has also jumped Sergio Perez to P2 in the Drivers’ Standings. This could be the Monegasque’s best chance to fight for the title during the current ground-effect regulations of the sport.
