Can Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finally triumph in Monaco GP?
Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
Can Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finally achieve victory in the Monaco GP and overcome his bad luck at his home race?"
MONACO — Charles Leclerc’s misfortunes at his home Grand Prix have become iconic in Formula One, but the Monegasque driver has a golden opportunity to change his fortunes at Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.
Leclerc, who grew up in Monte Carlo, secured his third pole position on Saturday, showcasing his exceptional pace around these narrow streets. Despite his impressive qualifying record, Leclerc has never reached the podium at his home race, an anomaly he's keen to rectify.
This year, the Ferrari driver has been in scintillating form, topping two of the three practice sessions and narrowly beating McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 0.154 seconds in a tense qualifying. His teammate Carlos Sainz will start third, with current championship leader Max Verstappen down in sixth, boosting Leclerc's chances on a circuit notorious for limited overtaking opportunities.
Reflecting on his past struggles and his focus for this weekend, Leclerc remarked, "I think the tension, the peak of the tension actually of the whole season I would say is in qualifying in Monaco. Then for the race, it's not like you are more relaxed, but... well yeah, you are more relaxed, just because the race, you've got to focus on the start, you've got to focus around the pit stop, because obviously, the laps around the pit stop are very important. But the qualifying in Monaco is a big part of the job. It is true in the past we didn't have the success that we wanted. But I don't want to think about that anymore. And I'm pretty sure that it will be a good one this weekend."
A win on Sunday would also mark Leclerc's first victory since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, breaking a nearly year-long winless streak.
The saga of Leclerc's Monaco misadventures
2017: Double DNF in Formula Two
Leclerc's unlucky streak began during his dominant Formula Two season. Despite securing pole, a poorly timed safety car and a mechanical failure forced him to retire from the feature race. The sprint race wasn't any better, as a collision ended his contest prematurely.
2018: Brake failure ends F1 rookie race
In his rookie F1 season with Alfa Romeo, Leclerc outperformed expectations in qualifying but suffered a front-left brake failure while running 12th, forcing him to retire just six laps from the finish.
2019: Qualifying blunder crushes hopes
Leclerc, now with Ferrari, faced heartbreak in 2019 as a strategic error saw him qualify 16th. Despite a spirited drive, a collision with Nico Hulkenberg ended his race dramatically.
2021: Pole position without a race
Leclerc secured pole in 2021 but crashed during his final qualifying lap. Ferrari opted against replacing his gearbox, leading to a driveshaft failure that prevented him from starting the race.
2022: Strategy missteps dash victory chances
In 2022, Leclerc led comfortably only to see Ferrari's strategic errors allow Sergio Perez to take the lead. Despite his best efforts, he finished fourth in a frustrating end.
2023: Grid penalty and rain woes
Last year, Leclerc started third but received a grid penalty and then suffered from a poorly timed pit stop just before a rainstorm hit the circuit. He ended up finishing sixth, pondering what might have been.
This Sunday, Leclerc has another chance to end his string of misfortunes and finally claim victory at his home Grand Prix. Will this be the year he conquers Monaco and ends the ‘Lecurse’? Fans around the world are eagerly waiting to find out.
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