Charles Leclerc arrives at the Monaco Grand Prix of Formula 1 surrounded by expectations from his rivals, but prefers to keep his feet on the ground. Despite being pointed out as the favorite for pole position by some of the main names on the grid, the Ferrari driver believes that Mercedes remains the benchmark in the current season.
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The Monegasque returns to the streets of Monte Carlo in search of his fourth home pole in the last six years. After securing his first victory on the circuit in 2024, Leclerc sees the event as an important opportunity for Ferrari, but avoids any overconfidence.
Among those betting on the strength of the Italian team is Lando Norris. The current champion stated: “Honestly, I think Ferrari will be on pole next weekend in Monaco.” Meanwhile, the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, declared: “Ferrari will be the team to beat in Monaco.”
When informed about the predictions of his competitors, Leclerc reacted with good humor: “Ok… I don’t know if you can bet,” he replied. He then emphasized that the situation is more complex than many imagine.
“We need to be careful. I think Mercedes is a very, very, very strong and very complete team, whether in corners or on straights,” said the Monegasque, reinforcing respect for the performance demonstrated by the German team throughout the season so far.
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Even so, Leclerc acknowledges that the Monte Carlo layout may represent Ferrari’s best chance to fight for pole in 2026: “If there is one race this year where I feel we might have a better chance of securing pole, it’s Monaco, and I hope that’s the case,” he concluded.
Ferrari has yet to secure a pole position this season, either in GPs or Sprint races. The Italian team also remains without wins in 2026, although it holds second place in the constructors’ championship, behind Mercedes.
The scenario puts the spotlight on Leclerc this coming weekend. With a history marked by moments of speed and also setbacks in his home race, the Monegasque driver hopes to take advantage of the circuit’s characteristics to challenge Mercedes and turn the favoritism pointed out by rivals into a concrete result.
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