A Lot Riding On Charles Leclerc At Monaco To Turn Around Ferrari’s Dismal Season

At this point, if you were to hold a vote with respect to the drivers out there most likely to bag a pole at the famed Monaco street circuit, home to Formula 1’s soon-to-begin round eight, then perhaps seven in ten or maybe, even eight in ten, would vote in favour of Charles Leclerc.

Loathing is easy, but understanding the simple undercurrents of Formula 1 perhaps easier.

The qualifying for the 2025 Monaco contest is just around the corner and the race, one needn’t be reminded, is on Sunday.

But the big question seems to be the following:

Should Charles Leclerc as the standout driver expected to bag pole even surprise you?

They say, numbers don’t lie, do they? However, truth be told, in Charles Leclerc’s case especially in the case of Monaco, his home track, they only startle.

Where qualifying is concerned, then truth certainly is that Charles Leclerc is the only Formula driver on the present grid with the most number of poles to his name at this venue.

Not even the likes of seven time world champion and his current Ferrari teammate, Sir Lewis Hamilton or for that fact the current defending world champion Max Verstappen have as many poles as Charles Leclerc at Monaco.

3 is the number of world titles that the legendary Ayrton Senna accumulated against his name and in a swashbuckling fashion. It is exactly the number of race wins that a certain George Russell has to his name in Formula 1, a feat that sees him tied to the legendary Mike Hawthorn and Phil Hill.

Kimi Raikkonen, in lighter vein albeit with a typical straight faced expression, said one, two and three, when asked to name any three corners of Monza.

But interestingly, the only driver who seems to have had the hang of the constricted and spine bending Monaco Circuit especially on several testing Saturdays, happens to be Charles Leclerc.

With three poles already to his name, which as a matter of fact suggest Leclerc has bagged nearly a ninth his career poles (overall 26) here at the Monte Carlo surface, hopes are high for a further upgrade to his overall tally.

But just why is the case?

At a time where Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have been functioning at a considerably higher level of performance, thanks to their consistency and the supreme drivability of the MCL 39, it was neither the Australian nor the Englishman who topped the time sheets at the Monaco free practice sessions.

As a matter of fact, even the exceptionally talented Max Verstappen was found wanting where each of the three free practice sessions stood.

Only one man was able to drag his car to the point of ascendancy in topping the time sheets in the practice runs on May 23, continuing some sweet touch a day later as well.

That man is Charles Leclerc

Where it came to FP1, Leclerc scored a particularly quick 1:11:964, this was interesting particularly because he himself had a collision with Aston Martin‘s Lance Stroll. Then, in the next practise session, he improved further by registering a fastest lap time of 1:11:355, which again was an interesting feat in that despite there being two red flag sessions including one caused by Piastri, the driver’s championship flag bearer (thus far), the Ferrari driver never lost an inch of focus.

Next up, in FP3, just one one couldn’t possibly have been doubted to think that the Monaco driver would have faltered somewhat or maybe not done all that well, the driver of car #16 placed his machine to the top of the charts.

This time, however, improving massively by clocking in a lap time of 1:10:953.

Given the fact that the only Ferrari podium to have happened this year has come at the behest of Charles Leclerc makes his position in this season, one marked with peculiar drivability issues, rather interesting.

Somewhere, it tends to put more focus and perhaps even pressure on the man who’s famously pipped to bring glory to Scuderia one day, or as some harsh critics would call, someday.

However truth certainly is that having faltered so often in the past, such as the Grand Prix of 2022 where he almost aced the Grand Prix to having had his heart in the mouth all thanks to his team’s errors, whether on that occasion or also in the past, Leclerc’s felt the dismay here. And yet, he also overcame great despair, most famously in 2024, to win his home event.

They say no great thing is ever achieved sans a heartbreak or two. Leclerc’s felt it here on more than one occasion. But where current blazing speeds suggest, it appears as though the man with the Midas touch, the one who saw the grandstands rising to the scene for his famed 2024 victory can bring some hope to Ferrari in what lies ahead.

And should Leclerc take pole first in the next few hours and somehow manage to keep the nose of his SF 25 ahead (a car never easy to drive) ahead, somehow ahead of what will be staunch pursuers in McLaren and Red Bull, a whiff of relief will come to the Maranello camp.

Not that Sir Lewis who crashed in FP3 can’t do it.

But if there’s a man who’s tasted the ecstasy of a win here most recently though not before experiencing gut wrenching sadness at the venue (in previous years), it is Charles Marc Herve Perceval Leclerc.

It’s all to play for at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix.