The question of whether it will happen this year has become more persistent, a question that was not asked in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 26-year-old has never been able to stand on the podium in his home race, despite making five attempts, four of which were with Ferrari. However, he has the opportunity to break that streak on Sunday.
“Monaco holds a special place in my heart. It’s true that I haven’t had much success in this race so far,” Leclerc said after finishing third in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola last weekend. However, I have always had the pace, and that gives me confidence that it will be the same this year.
“However, Monaco is a unique circuit, and we need to approach it with a fresh mindset. Free practice is crucial to gradually build up our pace. But I believe we will be strong,” Leclerc declared.
The narrow, fenced streets of Monaco have not been kind to Leclerc, who grew up watching the iconic red Ferraris and used to travel to school on a bus that passed through the track, dreaming of one day racing there.
In 2021, he secured pole position but couldn’t start the race due to a driveshaft failure. In 2022, he was again the fastest in qualifying but only managed to finish fourth. He also had an accident with a 1974 ex-Niki Lauda Ferrari during a demonstration run at the Historic Monaco Grand Prix that year.
Last year, Leclerc finished sixth in Monaco. In 2019, he failed to score any points. This time, he arrives with four podium finishes out of seven races and is currently second in the championship standings, which are dominated by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Verstappen, the triple world champion from Red Bull, won the race last year, and his intense battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris has become the talk of the sport.
Norris achieved his first Formula 1 victory by beating Verstappen in Miami and finished second in the races in China and Imola.
Meanwhile, Verstappen has won five out of seven races this season and has started all of them from pole position. This streak of eight consecutive poles, including the previous season, equals two Formula 1 records. No driver has ever achieved nine successive pole positions.
“You have two top-performing guys going at it like heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk,” commented Red Bull team boss Christian Horner after Norris finished 0.7 seconds behind Verstappen in the last race.
“The racing at the end of the race was fantastic, with sector-by-sector battles. You can see that the cars are converging. The latest upgrades have made them all very similar.”
McLaren will be showcasing a car adorned with a distinctive Ayrton Senna design, paying homage to their legendary triple champion who tragically passed away three decades ago at Imola. Senna, the unrivaled victor at Monaco, continues to hold the title for the most accomplished driver at this renowned circuit.
On Wednesday, Norris expressed the need to apply pressure on Verstappen, emphasizing the necessity for the Dutch driver to experience nerves once again. Norris stated, “It’s high time someone challenged him and made him feel the weight of pressure, as it seems he hasn’t encountered it in quite some time.”
Remaining humble, Norris clarified that he does not intend to become overly self-assured. However, he aims to approach races with confidence when competing against Red Bull and Ferrari, as McLaren finds themselves in direct competition with these formidable opponents.
Lewis Hamilton, the illustrious seven-time world champion from Mercedes, is undoubtedly a contender to keep a close eye on. Additionally, previous winners such as RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso are also expected to deliver captivating performances. (Reported by Alan Baldwin)