It is no secret that Charles Leclerc is arguably one of the most talented drivers to have entered F1. Since the 26-year-old also is arguably the best Monegasque driver to have ever entered F1, the expectations are sky-high. Monaco’s Prince Albert II in a recent interview claimed that he expects Leclerc to become F1’s first world champion from the principality.
When asked to share his thoughts and expectations from Charles Leclerc, knowing that he is one of the 9,400 “actual Monegasque” citizens, Prince Albert II said on the most recent episode of the Formula for Success podcast, “Hoping that one day he will not only win here in Monaco but that he will win the big title”.
Prince Albert II then concluded his remarks by stating that he is confident that Leclerc‘s time will come to win. However, he also cautioned that if Leclerc is to win the title, then the Ferrari driver will not only need a quick car but also a strong team around him.
Leclerc, so far, has had one outstanding opportunity to fight for the championship. That chance came in 2022 when he finished second in the standings. He also won a total of three races that year, but by the time the season concluded, the #15 driver finished a whopping 146 points behind eventual champion Max Verstappen.
The key reason why Leclerc finished behind Verstappen by a huge margin was due to his own mistakes and some massive blunders from Ferrari’s end. One such error from the team took place at the 2022 Monaco GP, a race when Leclerc was heartbroken after he failed to win.
Has Charles Leclerc lost his opportunity to win the Monaco GP?
Since Charles Leclerc has never managed to finish on the podium in any category in Monaco, many believe that there is a home race curse. The closest the 26-year-old came to finishing on the podium in Monaco was in 2022, a year he also had an outstanding chance to win his home race, had Ferrari not made a strategic blunder.
The team had initially called Leclerc into the pits before telling him at the last moment to stay out. However, by then, it was too late. The Monegasque had already entered the pits. Much to his frustration, he realized that Ferrari were not ready to pit him.
By then, he knew that he had lost out on the opportunity to win the race as he came out in P4, the same position he finished in the Grand Prix. In an interview he gave soon after the race, his agony was evident.
Where do you think Leclerc will qualify and finish this weekend?
Qualifying result
Race result pic.twitter.com/FEaQ0WRYxN— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) May 22, 2024
Leclerc said, “Unfortunately, something always happens to me in Monaco and this year was no exception”. However, there is hope that this year could be different for the 26-year-old.
Ferrari’s SF-24 is not only a much faster car than its predecessors but the team has also worked incredibly hard to reduce their mistakes. Moreover, with Helmut Marko also having claimed that Charles Leclerc is the favorite this weekend in Monaco, there are definitely signs of hope that the Monegasque could end his curse at his home Grand Prix this year.
