Ferrari Driver’s Strong Showing in Practice Leaves Him “Not Convinced” of a Repeat Victory

Charles Leclerc has emerged as the fastest driver in the first two practice sessions for the Monaco Grand Prix, but the Ferrari driver remains cautious about his chances of repeating his victory from last year. Despite heading both sessions, Leclerc expressed his doubts about Ferrari’s competitiveness in the grand prix, citing that “it is too early to feel very positive about the weekend.”

Leclerc’s strong showing was marked by a damaged front wing after he ran into the back of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, but he was able to continue and ended the day just 0.038 seconds quicker than McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, the world championship leader. Piastri, who crashed early in the session, ending up with a broken front wing, was surprised to find himself in second place despite the setback.

“I have been feeling pretty good with the car,” Leclerc said. “It hasn’t started the way I wanted with the crash with Lance, but after that it has been pretty smooth and I am happy overall with the car. The one-lap pace was strong. Whatever compound we were on, I was feeling quite comfortable and the lap time was coming pretty quickly. This is always a good sign.”

Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton, was third fastest in the second session, 0.105 seconds off Leclerc’s pace. Hamilton described the Monaco circuit as “the coolest track ever to drive” and “the best rollercoaster ride of the year.” He also praised the Ferrari team’s performance, saying that they “looked very strong” in the practice sessions.

However, not all drivers were as fortunate as Leclerc and Hamilton. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had a troubled session, ending up 0.713 seconds off the pace and even taking a trip down the escape road at Mirabeau late in the session. Verstappen admitted that his team had “overdone it” with some changes during the second session, which affected his car’s balance.

“We made some changes for P2 to see how far we could push the balance and we overdid it a little bit,” Verstappen said. “So then I just couldn’t really attack the corners any more how I would like and then you are shadowing a lot of pace and the lap time was not coming out of it. I don’t expect us to be the quickest. But we want to be a lot closer than in P2. I am also quite confident we can be a lot closer. But Ferrari again looks very, very fast.”

Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, was also struggling with his car’s balance, ending up 10th fastest in the second session. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was seventh fastest, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was fourth fastest, 0.322 seconds off the pace.

The Monaco Grand Prix is set to take place on Sunday, with Leclerc’s Ferrari looking strong but still a long way from securing a repeat victory. Despite his doubts about Ferrari’s competitiveness, Leclerc remains optimistic about his chances, saying that “qualifying is going to be fundamental” to achieving a good result.

The qualifying session will take place on Saturday, with the drivers set to face a challenging task in securing a good starting position for the grand prix. The Monaco circuit is notorious for its narrow and winding layout, making it one of the most difficult tracks on the Formula 1 calendar.

As the drivers prepare for the qualifying session, they will be looking to fine-tune their cars and strategies in order to secure the best possible starting position. With Leclerc’s Ferrari looking strong, but still a long way from securing a repeat victory, the Monaco Grand Prix is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable races of the season.