Charles Leclerc hoping for a Monaco surprise despite Ferrari woes

MONACO – Charles Leclerc has not given up hope of springing a Monaco surprise, despite slow-speed corners being Ferrari’s weak point this Formula One season.

Pole position is crucial in the principality, with overtaking extremely rare, and Leclerc – the only home driver to have won in Monaco since the championship started in 1950 – has taken the Saturday top slot in three of the last four years.

But Ferrari’s qualifying woes hit a new low for the season in Imola last weekend, when neither Leclerc nor seven-time world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton qualified in the top 10, even if race pace was far better.

Asked about the chances of repeating his 2024 victory around the tight and twisty metal-fenced streets, Leclerc was not optimistic.

“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,” he said.

“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. But, on paper, it’s going to be a tough one.”

Drivers can make a difference, however, on one of the trickiest circuits where cars skim the barriers and millimetres make the difference between triumph and failure.

The fastest car on race pace does not always reach the chequered flag first, and drivers with self-belief and determination can exceed expectations.

Teams can also set up their cars specifically for low speed without fear of compromising on high speed.

“I hope we’ll discover something new about our car that we haven’t seen yet since the beginning of the season,” added the 27-year-old Leclerc.

“Until qualifying, until you do that lap in Q3, you’ve got the hopes of doing something magic because you don’t really know where you stand... So I’ll have hopes until the end.”

The 2025 race has the additional strategic complication of a mandatory two stops, a novelty designed to liven up the show and likely to benefit more those not on pole.

Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen believes that it could be a crazy race due to that.

“I guess it can go both ways; it can be quite straightforward, or it can go completely crazy because of safety cars coming into play or not making the right calls,” said the 27-year-old Dutchman, a two-time winner of the showcase race.

“I think it will spice it up probably a bit more. Normally, with one stop, once you have a good pit stop and everything is fine, then you drive to the end and just stay focused and not hit the barrier.

“But maybe with a two-stop, it can create something different – people gambling, guessing when the right time is to box (pit). So hopefully, it will spice it up a bit more.”

McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri, runner-up to Leclerc in 2024 and now seeking to go one better, said the change would be welcomed more by those not on pole.

“It’s not quite as simple as what it was. So it’s definitely going to throw a spanner in the works for everyone,” the 24-year-old Australian said.

“It makes it potentially more difficult for teams at the top, such as ourselves... My head’s still kind of untwisting itself from some of the (strategy) meetings we’ve had.” REUTERS