Leclerc's monumental Monaco triumph breaks home-soil curse

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

MONACO – Charles Leclerc achieved a momentous victory on home turf, bringing an emotional end to his so-called "Monaco curse." The Ferrari driver, navigating the tight streets of Monte Carlo at breakneck speeds, held back tears as he approached the final laps of a race that had long been a dream for him.

"F--- Charles, you cannot do that now," Leclerc chided himself, determined to keep focus with just two laps remaining. His first win on his home circuit was tantalizingly close, and he wasn't about to let it slip away. Since childhood, when he first watched Formula One cars blaze through Monaco from a friend's apartment balcony, Leclerc had dreamt of this day. The stakes were sky-high—not only did this victory elude him after pole positions in 2021 and 2022, but it was also a dream he shared with his late father, Hervé, who had supported his racing career from the go-kart days.

"Where I struggled the most to contain my emotions was during the last 10 laps of the race," Leclerc noted post-race. "I realised actually two laps to the end that I was struggling to see out of the tunnel just because I had tears in my eyes and, especially on a track like Monaco, you have to be on it all the way to the end. It was very difficult to contain those emotions, those thoughts again of the people that have helped me get to where I am today." Leclerc lost his father at the age of 19, just days before a Formula 2 race in Azerbaijan. This personal tragedy is something he frequently reflects upon when discussing his mental toughness, but seldom allows it to affect him during races.

"It was very much in my mind," he admitted. "I think in every race I have done, there has not been one single race where I was thinking about this kind of personal stuff inside the car, because you've got to stay on it." During the final laps of the Monaco Grand Prix, however, those emotional memories returned, making his drive even more challenging.

"It's probably the first time in my career that it happened again while driving," Leclerc said. "When you've got these flashbacks of all these moments that we have spent together, all the sacrifices that he has done for me to get to where I am. Despite battling internal turmoil, Leclerc's execution on the track was flawless. In the final 15 laps, he extended his lead over Oscar Piastri to a secure 8 seconds, eliminating any strategic maneuver McLaren might employ to challenge him.

Piastri's early attempt to overtake Leclerc at Turn 8 was swiftly shut down, and after a first-lap collision involving Sergio Pérez, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hülkenberg, the race turned procedural for the front-runners. Rival drivers bemoaned the lack of excitement over team radios, but for Leclerc, the less drama, the better.

Leclerc's rocky history at Monaco included a driveshaft failure en route to the grid in 2021 after securing pole position and a botched Ferrari strategy in 2022 that cost him another potential win. The "Leclerc curse" became a talking point on social media, fueled by several prior misfortunes at his home race.

"I never believed in the curse, but it always felt very difficult in the two occasions I had a chance to win here," Leclerc commented. "One I couldn't even start the race. The second one, we didn't make the right strategy choice, I think. It was very frustrating to lose those wins."

"So there's a bit of tension, but as soon as I put the helmet on, and as soon as I get into the car, I don't feel anything anymore," he explained. "Then it's all about trying to maximise the car that you have, thinking about the tyres and thinking about all the stuff that I have to think of, to manage this race the best way possible."

The immeasurable joy and relief came clearly post-race. Leclerc, hoisted by his team, celebrated with his winner's trophy as champagne flowed. The celebrations reached their zenith when, along with Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur, he plunged into Monaco's harbour.

"It's very clear in my mind what I've got to do tonight with all the mechanics and engineers," Leclerc said. "I cannot wait to just enjoy the moment." The exhilaration of this victory marks a defining chapter in Leclerc's career. As he basks in his triumph, his focus will soon shift back to the track, with his sights set on the next race in Canada.

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