Leclerc wants a home win: “Monaco is more than just a race”

Monaco is his territory. Charles Leclerc was born here, he grew up here, he knows every corner here. In the place of the beautiful and rich and those who think they are, he has become a Formula 1 driver who could achieve something historic this Sunday (15.10:XNUMX p.m.) at the Grand Prix in the narrow streets of Monte Carlo.

Monegasques have often won the classic motorsport premier class since 1950, but a real Monegasque has not yet won the 65 editions so far. “More than just a race,” Ferrari wrote on Twitter about a photo of Leclerc.

Charles Leclerc appears deeply relaxed on his home asphalt. © AP / Luca Bruno

“To be honest, there are more famous drivers than me who live in Monaco,” said Leclerc. “But of course, I'm Monegasque, that's a bit different.” The portrait of the smart and highly ambitious 21-year-old adorns the magazines in the kiosks in Monte Carlo. The Monaco edition of the business magazine “Forbes” headlines: “Charles reigns.” In the official trailer for the race, the young Ferrari star is shown directly after the Formula 1 icon and Monaco record winner Ayrton Senna – no coincidence either. 2 deaths have strengthened Leclerc Leclerc is unlikely to break under the pressure that is already on the Scuderia's hope. He has emphasized several times that he has turned his previous mental weakness into a strength. Tragic events in his young life contributed to his rapid maturity. In 2014, his good friend Jules Bianchi had an accident in Japan and died as a result of the accident the following year. Leclerc's father died in 2017.

In order to train his cognitive abilities, Charles Leclerc has been working with Formula 1 doctor Riccardo Ceccarelli for a long time. “You train in front of a computer and you have sensors on your head that tell you what's going on in your head,” Leclerc once explained. Waiver of stable orders? Everything for success. Leclerc, currently fifth in the World Cup and slowed down in three of the five races of the season by the Ferrari team for the benefit of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, wants to win the race, the World Cup, the classic on his doorstep. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto emphasized that we knew how much the home race meant to Leclerc. “Played with cars and watched the Grand Prix at the same time” Leclerc about his first Formula 1 experiences on his doorstep A Ferrari is also what comes to Leclerc's mind when he talks about his first Grand Prix experience in Monte Carlo. Michael Schumacher's Ferrari. Leclerc said he was around four years old. “The image stays in my head forever: I was in a friend's apartment after turn one. I played with cars and watched the Grand Prix at the same time. I followed the red cars a little more. I just enjoyed it back then and dreamed of being there one day.”

Now Charles Leclerc is here. But his team is weak. Colleague Vettel also had to admit before the race that the Ferrari is simply not fast enough to initially stop the superiority of Mercedes with leader Lewis Hamilton and World Championship runner-up Valtteri Bottas. But Monaco is always “roulette,” said Vettel. A “lottery,” emphasized Leclerc – in which Louis Chiron drew the big ticket in 1931 and won. A Monegasque. The era of the official Formula 1 World Championships would not begin until 19 years later.

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Leclerc wants a home win: “Monaco is more than just a race”

That would be the crowning achievement: a victory for Charles Leclerc in Monaco, his home country. His first memory of the race on the Côte d'Azur: a red car driven by Michael Schumacher. Leclerc also wants the title. Strokes of fate and brain training have strengthened him.

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