Previous Monaco home hero Charles Leclerc is not expecting a repeat win in front of his home crowd because of his “low” chance with the current SF-25 at the Monaco GP.
Last year, Charles Leclerc won the Monaco GP. He was the first Monégasque to win at the historic street track since Louis Chiron in 1931. However, with Leclerc sitting fifth in the drivers’ championship and his team, Ferrari, fourth in the constructors’ championship, the Monégasque was not banking on a back-to-back win at Thursday’s Press Conference.
When asked about his chance of winning again, Leclerc answered, “If you want an honest answer, then low, because unfortunately our car hasn’t been particularly strong in low-speed corners. And there’s only low-speed corners here in Monaco. So on paper, it doesn’t look like the most promising track for us.”
“But Monaco is so unique and so different from anything we race on over the season that we can have a good surprise once we put the car down tomorrow – which I hope will happen.” The 27-year-old noted, “And if it does, then I hope to be there on Saturday because qualifying will remain the most important part of the weekend. But on paper, it’s going to be a tough one.”
What can Leclerc do?
Despite the underperforming SF-25, Leclerc remains determined trying “to do something special”, especially at his home race. When asked about what a driver can make with an underperforming car, Leclerc answered, “Well, it can make a difference.”
The Monégasque continued, ”I think there’s been years where we definitely did not expect to be on pole, and when you think that you have zero hopes, you just go for it – maybe a little bit more than people that are trying to manage expectations in Q3. And you manage to do something special, like I think we did in 2021 where we were nowhere all season, but we managed to put it on pole here.
Leclerc “still [has] hopes” that he can repeat the performance he had in years past at the Monaco GP, even with underperforming machinery.
“So, I still have hopes that we can reproduce what happened last year. Obviously, it’s still very fresh in my mind to come back in this paddock. The last time I was there, we won, and it was a very special moment for me.”
Taking an early loss?
With new technical regulations set to be put into effect in 2026, teams are deciding when to shift their focus from this season to next. When asked if Ferrari is ready to shift focus, Leclerc answered, “No. We definitely don’t want to give up now.”
“It’s still kind of early. I mean, we’re getting to mid-season soon, but we cannot afford to give up now. We’ve seen last year the situation changed a lot since when McLaren brought those upgrades,” the Monégasque noted, “I believe that in Barcelona will be another very important point of the season with this new regulation on the front wings, and then we’ll see whether it benefits us or not. Then we’ll have to make the decision – probably Fred will have to make the decision – whether it’s the right time to move on and prepare next season, that is going to be super, super important for everyone to be starting on the right foot.”
Although Charles Leclerc wished he knew what was wrong with his SF-25, he hopes that future upgraded might close the gap to those in front.
“What is wrong with the car? I wish I knew. What’s in the pipeline? We’ve got quite a few things, but I cannot give any timelines. And the timelines keep changing because the team is pushing a lot to bring them as early as possible. There are things, but whether it’s going to be enough to close the gap – I hope so. But to be in front and fighting for wins, I’m not sure yet.”
