Italian Grand Prix Monza qualifying: Charles Leclerc plays down Ferrari win chances after P4
Charles Leclerc Plays Down Ferrari’s Chances at Monza
MONZA, Italy — Charles Leclerc played down his chances of delivering a second straight home victory for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix, admitting he’ll likely need circumstances to swing his way on Sunday after qualifying fourth at Monza. In a tightly contested Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix qualifying session at the Temple of Speed, the Ferrari driver acknowledged the challenge of converting P4 into a win without a strategic twist or race-day drama.
Italian Grand Prix Qualifying Overview
With Max Verstappen on pole and both McLarens lining up ahead of him, Leclerc acknowledged the pace deficit Ferrari faces over a race distance despite the Scuderia’s trademark straight-line speed around Monza. In terms of Italian Grand Prix race pace analysis, the front-row advantage for Red Bull and McLaren sets a high bar for a Ferrari home win.
"I think on pure pace we don't have a chance, unfortunately," he said. "I think McLaren and the Red Bull of Max were way too strong in terms of race runs. But with the start, with the top speed we have ... it's going to be tough."
Leclerc’s Monza Record and Realistic Outlook
Leclerc has twice won at Monza for Ferrari — in 2019 and again last year — but insisted he’s a realist about the task at hand, even as Monza has delivered shocks before, from Pierre Gasly’s 2020 upset to Daniel Ricciardo’s 2021 triumph. For fans searching for Charles Leclerc Italian Grand Prix quotes or Ferrari Monza qualifying reaction, his tone was pragmatic yet hopeful.
"Yeah, there are some special races here," he added. "Again, I'll believe in it until the end and let's see what's possible. But let's say on pure pace I don't believe it's possible."
Pressure from Mercedes and Race-Day Outlook
He also flagged the looming threat from the third row, where Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will start directly behind him. "It would be great if we are on the podium tomorrow, which as I said earlier seems to be difficult pace wise," he said. That places extra emphasis on a clean launch, Ferrari’s top-end speed, and track position in this Italian GP race-day outlook.
Qualifying Details and Slipstream Debate
Leclerc had been second after the initial Q3 runs, just 0.1s off Verstappen, but couldn’t improve as rivals found time. Ferrari’s qualifying approach drew attention in the closing minutes for another reason: the team opted not to use Lewis Hamilton — who qualified one spot behind Leclerc but drops to 10th due to a five-place grid penalty from last week’s Dutch Grand Prix — to give Leclerc a slipstream. On a circuit dominated by long, high-speed straights, the lack of a tow was notable and sparked discussion around Monza tow strategy and slipstream tactics in F1 qualifying.
"I'm happy in a way that I think we've maximised the package that we had today and I think I did a really good first lap in Q3 and unfortunately on the second lap of Q3 I was a little bit in the front with nobody -- or just Yuki -- in front," he stated. "That makes a big difference here so there wasn't much more that we could have done. But I think we did a good job maximising the result."
When asked whether the idea of Hamilton helping with a tow had been discussed, Leclerc replied: "Yeah, it wasn't decided that way." Asked to clarify if it had been discussed, he then said: "Not really, no." He added: "It's something we'll discuss with the team now. It's always tricky to get it perfectly right and Lewis is still fighting to be starting as far up as possible. So we'll discuss about it but I don't think it's the main point of today."
Hamilton, for his part, felt a tow wasn’t the right call for his own race prospects. "I don't [think we needed to do it]. It's not something I ever did in any of my other teams. Ultimately, potentially end up sacrificing one of the drivers, and I've already got a five-place penalty, so points-wise I needed to be as high as I could."
Race Strategy for Ferrari at Monza
Leclerc will rely on a strong launch, Ferrari’s straight-line speed, and opportunism in a race that has a habit of springing surprises at Monza. But on form alone — and based on Italian Grand Prix qualifying results — he believes the fight will be for the podium rather than the top step. For Ferrari fans looking ahead to the Italian GP race strategy, turn-one execution and tire management could be decisive at the Temple of Speed.
Up Next
