Leclerc: Repeat victory in Monaco doesn't look promising

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc isn't optimistic he'll be able to conquer the Monaco track - his home race - like he did a year ago.

"I mean, if you want an honest answer, then low, because unfortunately our car hasn't been particularly strong in low-speed corners," Leclerc said Thursday when asked about his chances of winning. "And there's only low-speed corners here in Monaco. So on paper, it doesn't look like the most promising track for us."

Leclerc was infamously unlucky in his birthplace before triumphing in last year's grand prix, becoming the first Monegasque driver to win their home race since 1931. He didn't start from pole in 2021 because of a car issue following a crash in qualifying, and he finished off the podium in 2022 after beginning on pole due to a strategy error from Ferrari. He also placed sixth in 2023.

Ferrari has also failed to build momentum on its promising 2024 campaign with its 2025 car - the SF-25 - struggling to keep up with the other front-runners. The Scuderia have only one podium this season, Leclerc's third-place finish in Saudi Arabia.

Still, the eight-time race winner hasn't completely given up on a surprise in Monaco.

"I think there's been years where we definitely did not expect to be on pole, and when you think that you have zero hopes, you just go for it - maybe a little bit more than people that are trying to manage expectations in Q3," Leclerc said. "And you manage to do something special, like I think we did in 2021, where we were nowhere all season, but we managed to put it on pole here.

"So, I still have hopes that we can reproduce what happened last year. Obviously, it's still very fresh in my mind to come back in this paddock. The last time I was there, we won, and it was a very special moment for me."

All drivers in Sunday's grand prix will also need to make two pit stops, a requirement the FIA implemented in hopes of improving on-track action and implementing more strategy at the iconic Monaco circuit.