Charles Leclerc finished P2 at the Australian GP, behind Carlos Sainz in what was Ferrari’s best weekend of the season so far. Now, the Monegasque hopes that Ferrari can continue this form in the coming races so that he too can stand on the first step of the podium. It is difficult to pinpoint a particular weekend where the Maranello-based outfit has its best chance of winning again, but Leclerc labels his home race as the one.
In an interview with Fox Australia’s Jessica Yates, Leclerc spoke about Ferrari’s glorious weekend in Melbourne. Yates asked the 26-year-old whether he sees Ferrari performing well in only certain circuits this year and whether there are characteristics that stand out.
He replied by insisting that the overall package is good, but there is the qualifying factor where his team is slightly on par with Red Bull at the moment. Because of this, he feels he has the best chance of winning a race in Monaco.
“We tend to be a bit closer [in qualifying] than we are in the race. So if I see an opportunity, it will be in Monaco. Because in Monaco, if you are starting on pole, then things are a bit easier.” , Leclerc said.
Unfortunately, Leclerc’s track record in Monaco has been woeful. It is his home race, and arguably the one he wants to win the most at the moment. But, engine issues, strategy goof-ups, or simply errors on his part have plagued his outings in the Principality over the years. Can the Monaco native finally rise above that and get his first win this year?
Charles Leclerc’s Monaco GP curse
Leclerc’s curse in Monaco started way before he joined Ferrari in F1. In 2017, when he was racing for Prema in F2, he retired from both the Sprint and Feature races in his home country, in what was considered to be extremely unlucky. This was before people started deciphering any sort of pattern in his performances at that particular circuit, of course.
Then, in 2018, he was in his rookie season for Sauber, and while he was competing for a backmarker, Leclerc wanted to finish his first F1 home race on a strong note. Unfortunately, he crashed out of the race.
In 2019, Ferrari’s strategy blunder saw him exit Q1 in qualifying. Trying to make up places in the race, he crashed out. This is when discussions of a “Monaco Curse” started coming up within the F1 community. In 2021, he qualified on pole, but couldn’t start the race because of damage to his gearbox.
2022 saw Leclerc qualify on pole once again, but a Ferrari strategy error (again) dropped him to P4 when he crossed the chequered flag. Finally, in 2023, Leclerc and Ferrari simply didn’t have enough pace (or luck). He qualified in P3, but ended the race in P6.
