Monaco Grand Prix 2024: Charles Leclerc’s bitter historical past in his dwelling race, defined

Racing at dwelling within the Monaco Grand Prix has all the time been particular for Charles Leclerc.

However it’s a wealthy historical past stuffed with heartbreak.

Leclerc has but to take pleasure in profitable at dwelling, whether or not in System 2 or in System 1, and people years have heartbreak are so painful, they’ve truly impressed a youngsters’s ebook. In a ebook titled Charles Leclerc and the Horrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Dangerous Monaco Grand Prix — which sits alone espresso desk due to my pricey pal Michael Kist — Anita Driver makes a play on the timeless basic Alexander and the Horrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Dangerous Day, written by Judith Viorst.

The subtitle to Driver’s work? “A ebook of disappointment and disappointment for kids.”

But, that’s Leclerc’s historical past at dwelling, a story stuffed with heartbreak and disappointment. It’s a historical past that even features a faceplant in a charity soccer match final season. Earlier than Leclerc takes on his dwelling course as soon as extra, it’s price a second as an example simply how shut he has been prior to now, and simply how bitter his historical past is at Monaco.

2017: A tough F2 weekend in Monaco

We begin again in 2017, when Leclerc was driving in F2. As we have now already highlighted, qualifying is every little thing in Monaco. If you wish to win, your greatest likelihood is by beginning up entrance.

Leclerc checked that job off the to-do checklist again in 2017, qualifying on pole for the F2 Monaco Grand Prix. He entered the race weekend because the chief within the F2 standings, and Monaco was his third-straight pole place to begin the 12 months.

Nevertheless, the Grand Prix, and the dash race, provided him his first style of bitterness at dwelling. Within the Grand Prix, Leclerc’s Prema race automotive endured a suspension failure, and he was pressured to retire after simply 26 laps. Within the dash race, Leclerc tried to execute an overtake on the Rascasse flip, however collided with Norman Nato. Neither driver completed the race.

Writing in Motorsport after the weekend, Leclerc summed up his disappointment this manner: “The best way the Monaco F2 weekend unfolded for us was vastly disappointing and really laborious to take. It was going unexpectedly nicely, till it went all fallacious within the function race with the mechanical failure. It will’ve been an enormous disgrace at any observe, however at dwelling it hurts much more.”

2018: A brake failure in his first F1 Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco in 2017 was only a pace bump on Leclerc’s quick observe to the F1 world. He went on to win the F2 Championship, and earned a spot with Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) for the next F1 season. And regardless of his standing as a rookie, Leclerc entered his dwelling race for the primary time as an F1 driver on a little bit of a excessive notice. After ending out of the factors in his first three races, Leclerc completed P6 on the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after which P10 on the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix.

In his first F1 Monaco Grand Prix Leclerc managed to advance to Q2, earlier than beginning the race in 14th place. Because the Grand Prix wound down, Leclerc pushing into the factors, sitting in twelfth place with simply eight laps remaining.

However that’s when his brakes failed:

Leclerc drove into the again of Brendon Hartley’s Toro Rosso, and each drivers have been pressured to retire.

Much like the 2017 F2 Monaco Grand Prix, his inaugural F1 expertise in Monaco was one of some bitter notes from a stable rookie marketing campaign. Leclerc completed his 2018 F1 season thirteenth within the Drivers’ Standings, and it was sufficient for Ferrari to tab him as a substitute for Kimi Räikkönen for the next season.

Picture by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket through Getty Photographs

2019: A blunder on Saturday makes for a troublesome Sunday

Within the days main as much as the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix, F1 legend Niki Lauda handed away on the age of 70. The Monaco Grand Prix that 12 months was in some ways a celebration of his life, and what he meant to the game. “Niki, you’re fairly easy irreplaceable, there’ll by no means be one other such as you,” mentioned Mercedes Staff Principal Toto Wolff. “It was our honor to name you our Chairman – and my privilege to name you my pal.”

As for Leclerc, his profession with Ferrari received off to an amazing begin, as he positioned fifth or higher in every of the primary 5 races of the 12 months, forward of the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix. That included his first podium with Ferrari, as he positioned third within the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix.

You in all probability know the place that is going.

Leclerc’s 2019 Monaco Grand Prix was marked by one of many many strategic blunders he has endured whereas with the Scuderia. In the course of the first qualifying session Leclerc had one other incident at Rascasse, locking up his tires and spoiling his first try. The workforce left him on the grid with broken tires to try to put up a greater time, and he completed in a provisional sixth place.

Ferrari thought that may be sufficient to see him via to the second qualifying session. However as he was on pit lane, he watched as quicker occasions pushed him down the board, and ultimately out of Q2 altogether.

Whereas he certified sixteenth, Leclerc began fifteenth after Antonio Giovinazzi was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding throughout qualifying. Nonetheless, Leclerc knew he must pull off one thing particular within the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix to match the primary 5 races of the season. He picked up a number of spots within the early going, however a collision with Nico Hülkenberg prompted a tire puncture. As he returned to pit lane, the broken tyre prompted additional ground harm, and he retired after simply 16 laps.

“It’s a disgrace it occurs at dwelling, particularly on a observe like Monaco beginning fifteenth clearly signifies that Sunday shall be a tough day,” Leclerc mentioned after the race. “And much more with out the rain. However we knew it will be a really tough day which it has been clearly. Now we have to look ahead.”

2021: A pole, however not a lot else

COVID noticed the cancellation of the 2020 Monaco Grand Prix, so Leclerc’s subsequent likelihood at a house victory got here through the 2021 marketing campaign. As with the 2019 season, Leclerc entered the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix on a excessive notice. He had completed within the factors in every of the season’s first 4 races, together with a fourth-place end within the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and a fourth-place end within the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix.

His 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, nevertheless, highlighted simply how skinny the road is between qualifying nicely, and ruining your weekend.

He superior to Q3, and in that third section of qualifying Leclerc was sitting on provisional pole. He was on one remaining push lap throughout Q3 to try to clinch pole place however pushed it too laborious close to the Swimming Pool part of the observe, and drove into the wall.

A crimson flag got here out, that means that his provisional pole stood, making him the primary Monegasque driver to qualify on pole in Monaco since Louis Chiron again in 1936. It was additionally the primary pole place of the 12 months for Ferrari.

Nevertheless, the harm was an excessive amount of, and he couldn’t even begin within the Grand Prix on Sunday.

“It was a troublesome one at this time. I actually felt for the entire workforce. After what occurred in qualifying, the mechanics did an unbelievable job and gave completely every little thing to get me again on observe for the race. I used to be actually trying ahead to lastly be preventing for the win for us right here. Sadly, it was not meant to be,” mentioned Leclerc after the Grand Prix. “Not beginning the race was tough to take, particularly at dwelling. I used to be emotional within the automotive after I realised that there was one thing fallacious. We nonetheless have to research what precisely was the difficulty.”

Nevertheless, Ferrari didn’t come away empty handed, as Carlos Sainz Jr. secured his first podium with the workforce, putting second.

“General, it was a very good weekend for us although. Carlos was sturdy and constant and I’m completely satisfied for him and the entire workforce for scoring his first podium for Scuderia Ferrari,” added Leclerc. “After a tough 12 months in 2020, this was an excellent reward for everybody, each on the observe and again dwelling in Maranello, and the workforce absolutely deserves it.”

2022: A double-stack to neglect

The 2022 Monaco Grand Prix afforded Leclerc maybe his greatest likelihood so far at profitable his dwelling race.

So the actual fact he couldn’t even attain the rostrum makes this maybe the hardest of his bitter Monaco capsules to swallow.

Purple Bull entered the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix simply 26 factors forward of Ferrari within the Constructor’s standings, with Max Verstappen simply six factors away from Leclerc within the Drivers’ standings. However qualifying noticed Ferrari lock out the entrance row, with Leclerc on pole for the second-straight 12 months, and Sainz in P2.

However then, on Sunday, the skies opened.

Rain appeared simply earlier than the beginning, soaking the observe and inflicting a delayed begin. The circumstances additionally pressured groups to regulate their methods for the Grand Prix. Ferrari had each Leclerc and Sainz begin on the total moist tires as soon as the race started. Shortly after the beginning, nevertheless, the observe started to dry out, and Ferrari introduced Leclerc in on Lap 18 to make the change to the intermediate compound

Then on Lap 22, Ferrari determined to carry Sainz — who was nonetheless on the total wets — in to make the sew to the laborious compound. Leclerc was given the identical command to field, however as he got here down pit lane simply behind Sainz for a double-stack, he was advised to remain out.

It was too late.

Be aware: The audio right here isn’t precisely protected for work.

Any likelihood of Leclerc profitable his dwelling race was gone. And he knew it.

Within the workforce’s post-race media report, Leclerc appeared despondent.

“I’m disillusioned to have misplaced this win and it’s a troublesome one to take, particularly at dwelling. It is going to be vital to know precisely what occurred to be sure that this doesn’t occur once more,” mentioned Leclerc after the race.

He then outlined the blunders that noticed him slide down the grid.

“Within the first pit cease, we went from excessive wets to Intermediates, and received undercut by Perez. Three laps later, I finished once more, behind Carlos, and misplaced two extra positions. It’s simply unattainable to overhaul in Monaco with out taking big dangers, so I stayed put to carry dwelling as many factors as potential and I assume that fourth is the perfect we might do beneath these circumstances,” he added. “Errors occur, sadly at this time we made too many.”

Ferrari’s then-Staff Principal Mattia Binotto admitted to errors following the race.

“Whenever you begin along with your two automobiles on the entrance row and also you don’t win, it means one thing went fallacious from our aspect,” mentioned Binotto. “I feel we made a number of poor choices and we paid the worth. I’m sorry for Charles, as a result of it’s his dwelling race, so it was significantly vital for him, as certainly it was for all of us.”

Binotto is not the Staff Principal for the Scuderia.

2023: A Q3 to recollect, a faceplant, and a penalty

Final season introduced much more disappointment for Leclerc.

In addition to a faceplant.

Forward of final 12 months’s Monaco Grand Prix Leclerc was certainly one of many athletes and personalities participating within the thirtieth annual World Stars Soccer Match, which is held in Monaco forward of the annual race. The charity recreation, which raises cash for underprivileged youngsters, pits F1 personalities in opposition to different athletes and celebrities. Final 12 months Leclerc was the captain of the F1 squad, which additionally had Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly and F1 president Stefano Domenicali on the roster. Their opponents, the Star Staff for the Youngsters, included tennis star Novak Djokovic among the many gamers.

Early within the match Leclerc was on the pitch. First feet-first, after which head-first:

Was it foreshadowing for the way his weekend would go, or wouldn’t it arrange Leclerc for his best triumph?

You in all probability know the reply.

On Saturday, he put his SF-23 on pole momentarily, solely to be nipped on the loss of life by each Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen. Leclerc completed with the third-fastest time, which for a second gave him an opportunity within the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.

“A qualifying lap right here is like nowhere else on the calendar and it feels actually good to drive,” declared Leclerc in Ferrari’s post-qualifying report. “So all in all I might be completely satisfied however I’d after all have most well-liked to be first. For tomorrow, I want a bit extra luck than prior to now years right here. The forecast says there’s a likelihood of rain and if that’s the case something is feasible. I’ll go for it anyway after which we’ll see the place we find yourself.”

Leclerc’s luck didn’t even final a number of hours, not to mention till Sunday.

Following qualifying Leclerc was summoned to fulfill with race officers for an incident that occurred through the third section of qualifying. After finishing his remaining push lap Leclerc was on a cooldown lap heading into the tunnel part of the circuit. Nevertheless, Lando Norris got here up on his on a push lap of his personal, encountering Leclerc within the tunnel.

Within the view of race officers, Norris was “clearly impeded” by Leclerc.

“Leclerc had completed his remaining lap of Q3 and was within the Flip 4 via Flip 10 advanced. Norris was on a quick lap and caught Leclerc in the course of the tunnel and was clearly impeded,” famous the race stewards of their post-hearing report.

“Each drivers agreed that there was little that Leclerc might have safely achieved within the tunnel to keep away from impeding Norris, given the issue in imaginative and prescient as a result of mild coming into and within the tunnel and the change of traces from one aspect of the tunnel to the opposite,” continued the officers. “The truth is, the Stewards noticed that Leclerc reacted in a smart solution to a blue flag displayed by the marshals, however at this level it was too late.”

Leclerc was given a three-place grid penalty, dropping him to P6 for the beginning of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.

That successfully ended any likelihood of a win at dwelling, given the issue in overtaking at Monaco. Whereas Sunday’s race noticed some intervals of rain, providing a slim likelihood for Leclerc with some totally different technique calls from varied groups and a few temporary slick circumstances, his day ended the place it began, with Leclerc in P6 on the checkered flag.

“We have been on the backfoot from the second we received the penalty yesterday. When it began to rain we might have gone onto the Inters early, however we determined to not as there have been nonetheless lots of automobiles on slicks and so we determined to attend within the hope of a Security Automotive which 90% of the time you’ll count on right here in these circumstances,” mentioned Leclerc after final 12 months’s Monaco Grand Prix.

“In fact, with the advantage of hindsight, you would possibly take a unique determination however on the time it appeared like a very good alternative to make up lots of locations. I’ve no regrets in regards to the choices we made concerning our technique. It’s what it’s, but it surely’s actually the grid penalty that labored in opposition to us.”

2024: ???

Might 2024 be the 12 months Leclerc lastly breaks via after years of heartbreak?

It simply would possibly.

In latest weeks the grid appears to have caught Max Verstappen on the entrance, with each McLaren and Ferrari making the most of latest updates to their 2024 challengers. Ferrari particularly regarded sturdy because the week started in Imola, as Leclerc topped the timing sheets in each FP1 and FP2.

Each he and Ferrari couldn’t match that promise in qualifying, as Leclerc positioned fourth and Sainz fifth. However a post-race impeding penalty handed all the way down to Oscar Piastri dropped him from second to fifth, promotion each Ferrari drivers up a spot, and to the second row.

That’s the place Leclerc completed, as he grabbed his second-straight podium — and his fourth grand prix podium of the season — with a third-place end.

“Yeah, at the least it’s a podium. In fact I’m solely very completely satisfied after I win. And at this time we didn’t fairly make it. We have been very quick initially of the stint with the Exhausting. I began to push to try to put some strain on Lando however afterward they have been they have been extremely fast. However all in all, I feel the race tempo at this time was fairly sturdy,” mentioned Leclerc on Sunday. “We lacked yesterday in qualifying. After trying, we missed on the primary straight particularly, which we’ll look into. On the remainder of the lap we have been fast so it’s trying good for the for the remainder of the season. However yeah, it’s unbelievable anyway to be on the rostrum with all of the tifosi right here in Imola.”

However will he be celebrating with the tifosi in Monaco?

Leclerc believes there’s a likelihood.

“Monaco could be very particular for me. True that it hasn’t been probably the most profitable race for me till now. Nevertheless, the tempo was all the time there and that offers me the boldness that will probably be the case this 12 months too. Nevertheless, Monaco is so particular that we have to begin a bit of bit from a clean web page,” mentioned Leclerc within the FIA Press Convention following the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

And yeah, free apply is tremendous, tremendous vital to construct the tempo little by little. However I’m assured we’ll be sturdy. And as I’ve mentioned many occasions, clearly, it’s the identical roads that I took by bus to go to high school after I was youthful,” added Leclerc. “Now it’s in a System 1 automotive. In order that makes it additional particular for me. So I’m actually trying ahead to it. To be in Monaco, a really particular observe I feel for each driver as a result of it’s a really difficult observe and further particular for me, because it’s my dwelling race.”

Can he lastly ship in that dwelling race?