Monaco GP 2021: Leclerc Hopeful of Ferrari’s F1 Chances After ‘Extraordinarily Strong’ Showing in Barcelona

Charles Leclerc is one of the most impressive drivers on the grid today. At just 23 years of age, he is leading Ferrari’s charge this season, and has been quite impressive so far.

Garnering 40 points in four races, Leclerc has helped Ferrari to fourth place in the constructor’s championship this season, just five points behind McLaren. After a strong showing in the Spanish Grand Prix, the Monegasque believes he’s now in a good position to do well at his home race in Monaco as well.

Charles Leclerc is optimistic about his chances in Monaco

Leclerc put in an impressive shift in Barcelona. He overtook Valtteri Bottas to take third position after Lap 1, and finished fourth despite a tough challenge from McLaren. Terming it a “perfect race,” Leclerc is optimistic about their chances on his home soil.

The Monegasque said, “When I looked at the race last Sunday, we looked extraordinarily strong in the third sector, which gives me hope for Monte Carlo.” (Quotes translated from Turkish by Google)

Happy to improve my race pace: Leclerc

Since his Ferrari debut in 2019, Leclerc has consistently exceeded expectations. Despite Mercedes’ dominance, the youngster took seven pole positions in 2019, including an unexpected one in Singapore.

However, he ended up converting just two of those pole positions into race wins. This stat depicts Leclerc’s lack of race pace at the time, a trait that may have stemmed from a lack of experience.

Since then, Leclerc has improved on that aspect of his racing, which makes him happy. He said, “I can say that I have personally improved my racing pace and tire management compared to the past. Two years ago I took great pole positions with the SF90, but couldn’t show myself in the race.

“I improved in this respect last year, and now I feel better even though I have a lot to learn. I am very happy with that.”

Despite finishing 16th in 2019, Leclerc is confident that he will get a better result in Monaco this year. With F1 returning to Monaco after two years, all eyes will be on the hometown hero. Can Ferrari leapfrog McLaren on the back of another solid performance from Leclerc in the streets of Monaco?