As the upcoming race weekend in Monaco approaches, one driver is set to be the center of attention – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the so-called ‘hometown hero’ for the Monegasques. However, the home race has not always been kind to him. After countless mishaps, he has never managed to advance beyond P4 in the principality. In a press conference, Leclerc discusses his prospects for the 2024 Monaco GP.
An enthusiastic Charles Leclerc addresses the press on Thursday afternoon. Everyone is curious to see if he can secure pole position for his Ferrari for the third time and if he can finally translate that into a victory on Sunday. “In Monaco, you always start from scratch,” Leclerc responds. “You saw that in 2021 – our car was nowhere good, but here we suddenly were on pole. But I would be surprised if we are not at least competing for the first starting spot.”
Leclerc’s Struggles with the Monaco Grand Prix
Leclerc has had a difficult history with the Monaco Grand Prix, having only finished the race twice due to a series of unfortunate events. He has yet to secure a podium finish. “A podium doesn’t really mean anything to me,” explains the Monegasque. “I’m not participating for second or third place, I’m here to win.” The Ferrari driver has had such bad luck in his home race that fans jokingly say there is a curse on Monaco.
The Local Hero
Despite the lack of trophies, Monaco remains a special circuit for Leclerc. “I really love this track,” he says with a smile. “It’s all about taking risks. If you have a bit of courage, you can immediately see it in the lap times.”
The less than 40,000 inhabitants of the principality have embraced Leclerc – the Ferrari driver has become a local hero for the Monegasques. “It’s strange that people now interact with me so differently,” admits Leclerc. “For my friends and family, I’ve always remained the same, but yesterday I ran into old classmates who are now suddenly taking pictures of me.”
