Charles Leclerc Brings Back Wild 2018 F1 Promise in Hopes of Awaited Monaco GP Victory

Winning a Formula 1 Grand Prix on home soil is the greatest feeling for an F1 driver. And this weekend belongs to Charles Leclerc as F1 goes racing in his home in Monaco. Regardless of the bad luck, the Monegasque remains bullish he can win in Monaco. If he does, then he has to fulfill a promise he made in 2018.

Charles Leclerc on keeping a promise and winning in Monaco

Back in 2018, Leclerc was driving for Alfa Romeo Sauber in his rookie year in F1. Coming into the Monaco Grand Prix, the driver made a promise to Alfa Romeo boss Frédéric Vasseur if he were to get a podium in the race. French newspaper, L’Équipe, asked Charles if he would jump off Port Hercules as he had promised in 2018.  

“No worries, if I win this year, I will do it without any problem (laughs). But you will also jump!” replied the Ferrari driver. 

This year has started well for the Monegasque as he and Ferrari are consistently at the front. This makes them the favorites to win the championship. But asked if he would prefer a win at Monaco or the driver’s title, Charles Leclerc was modest about his choice.

“Winning. I can’t choose but winning the title is the most important. I want the title!”

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“And me too. This is my home, here. When I was a kid, my teachers didn’t understand why I didn’t go to school. To win in front of my family, my friends, all those who believed in me, that would be special.”

The French news agency asked if he had shared the pleasure of winning with fellow Monaco winner Nico Rosberg. Nico boasts an impressive run of three consecutive wins in the Principality. Leclerc replied, “Never with Nico, no.”  

Dealing with bad luck in Monaco for Charles

While he has had impeccable bad luck over the years, Leclerc isn’t too fazed by it. The French newspaper also asked him if he thought of changing his nationality to avoid bad luck. Charles replied with a laugh, “I think we’ve already talked about that? Absolutely not. No, I feel like a Monégasque. And I’m very proud of it. Why do you ask again?”.

“It’s true that I’ve never had much luck at home, but I don’t believe in that kind of thing. If you look at the results, it’s true that it looks like bad luck.”

“There were mechanical problems, problems in quali, things that prevented us from finishing. But nothing I could control.”

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Ferrari driver concluded that he doesn’t believe in these things and doesn’t give them much thought. He also mentioned that he has already had bad luck because the brakes failed on the historic Niki Lauda Ferrari he was driving. So, for the real Grand Prix, he shouldn’t have any more bad luck.