Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc acknowledges that his team’s ongoing difficulty with low-speed corners will make defending his home victory at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix extremely challenging this weekend. Despite his hopes, Leclerc is realistic about the SF-25’s known weakness on the tight, slow-speed bends that dominate Monaco’s street circuit.
Leclerc’s 2023 Triumph and Ferrari’s Recent Performance Challenges
Last year, Leclerc celebrated a milestone by securing his first win in Monaco, a victory made all the more poignant since it took place on the streets near where he grew up. This long-awaited success came after several frustrating years of near misses. His triumph boosted Ferrari’s morale as the team started the 2023 season strong, with wins from both Leclerc and then teammate Carlos Sainz, and a slew of podium finishes.
However, Ferrari’s momentum faltered when McLaren surged ahead, and both Mercedes and Red Bull delivered stronger performances. Ferrari struggled to maintain pace, though efforts to regain competitiveness saw the team claw back to a respectable level by the year’s end.
Ferrari’s 2024 Struggles with Upgrades and Competitiveness
Ferrari’s difficulties have continued into 2024, as its new SF-25 car has not met expectations. The team has found itself trailing behind McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull’s leading driver, Max Verstappen. Though Ferrari remains focused on optimizing its current car with forthcoming upgrades in Barcelona, the SF-25’s poor performance in slow-speed corners remains a critical problem.
Leclerc highlighted this issue by noting,
“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 further explained that the nature of Monaco’s track does not play to Ferrari’s strengths this season.
Monaco’s Unique Demands Could Still Present Opportunities for Leclerc
The Monaco Grand Prix’s distinctive layout—characterized by narrow streets, uneven surfaces, and mostly low-speed corners—creates an unpredictable racing environment. This uniqueness leaves room for surprises, even when a team’s car appears disadvantaged on paper. Leclerc remains cautiously optimistic, recalling past instances where unexpected results occurred due to the circuit’s quirks.
“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,”
Leclerc expressed.
“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.”
Leclerc Reflects on Past Success and Maintains Hope for a Repeat Performance
Leclerc’s memories of winning at Monaco are still vivid, fueling his determination despite the challenges. He underlined the emotional importance of the venue for him personally:
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.
The Ferrari driver also pointed out that Monaco’s unique setup demands can occasionally disrupt expectations since the track focuses solely on low-speed cornering, different from most F1 circuits where teams must balance high and low-speed performance. This singular focus could allow Ferrari to prioritize optimizing the car’s weak point for this race weekend.
Leclerc said,
“That’s definitely one of the questions we also asked ourselves coming here. The answer, we’ll have it on track tomorrow. We don’t really know yet what to expect. But it is true that there’s only low-speed here. So obviously, we’ll try and focus and put the car in the best place possible for low-speed corners, whereas normally on most other tracks you just try and find a compromise between high-speed and low-speed.”
Uncertain Prospects but Continued Determination to Find Performance Gains
Despite the car’s limitations, Leclerc remains hopeful that unexpected improvements might emerge during the Monaco weekend. He commented,
I hope we’ll discover something new about our car that we haven’t seen yet since the beginning of the season.
This cautious optimism underscores the difficulty Ferrari faces but also highlights Leclerc’s resilience and focus on making the most of a challenging situation. With qualifying crucial on this tight circuit where overtaking is extremely difficult, Leclerc’s preparation and mental approach will play a pivotal role in his hopes to contend for a strong finish.
Implications for Ferrari and the Upcoming Race
The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix represents a significant test for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, as the track layout directly exposes the SF-25’s weaknesses. Results from this weekend will offer insight into whether the team can adapt effectively or if the low-speed corner deficit will limit their competitiveness. Moreover, the race could influence Ferrari’s upgrade approach ahead of the remaining season events.
If Leclerc can replicate the tenacity shown in previous years at Monaco, the team may still extract surprising performance, keeping hopes alive for a memorable home event despite the challenges on paper. The Principality’s unpredictable nature means that no expectation is definitive until the lights go out.
