Charles Leclerc reignites the Red Fever in Monaco. He wins in his Monte Carlo years of misfortunes and almost two years without a race win.
As Leclerc said, the emotions were too much to contain in the last laps. He tried not to cry while thinking about everyone he loves, including those who are not here anymore as he drove his way to victory. Finally, for the first time in his career, the home hero crossed the finish line and held the trophy up high in front of his people, in the very city where he started to dream about Formula 1 and the red car when he was just a child.
Today is your day Charles! You deserved this win 💪#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/lWnxZYXsvZ
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 26, 2024
Pole position and Monaco’s curse
It all started on Friday when Charles Leclerc was the fastest driver during the Practice Sessions. He decided to focus on short runs, knowing how important Qualifying is in Monaco. Montecarlo has a peculiar track, where it’s difficult to overtake since the modern F1 cars are way too big.
And all of this paid back on Saturday when Leclerc gained pole position. Since then, the hopes were high. Every Tifoso and every Monegasque was praying for a Charles Leclerc win. But the driver tried to contain the enthusiasm. For six years in Formula 1, he never finished on the podium in Montecarlo, even when he started on pole. Between DNFs, DNS, penalties and bad strategies, people started to joke about a Monaco curse.
However, Charles Leclerc didn’t let it bring him down; on race day, he came out on top.
Couldn’t wait to share this podium moment with you all! 🫶 🍾 #MonacoGP 🇲🇨 #F1 pic.twitter.com/hmDXKlDU9r
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 26, 2024
A messy start…
The last time a Ferrari won the Monaco Grand Prix was in 2017 with Sebastian Vettel. For its last win starting from pole position, we must look back to 1979 with Jody Scheckter. No Monegasque has ever won it before in the championship era.
For the race, Leclerc was ahead of Oscar Piastri, the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and the McLaren of Lando Norris. A quartet that is becoming a usual view this season, with the two Ferrari and McLarens racing each other in many Grand Prix.
The start of the race was chaotic. At lights out, the poleman had a good start while Piastri and Sainz went wheel-to-wheel. This resulted in a puncture for the Spaniard. An instant later, a red flag was displayed as there was a huge crash between the two Haas’ and Sergio Perez. The cars were destroyed, but luckily everyone was alright.
The red flag gave Ferrari and McLaren the chance to make their pit stops, changing the Mediums for the Hards. All the top four could do their race without stopping again.
…but what a win
From the restart, the race went on without any major event until the end. It was a managing race, where Charles Leclerc didn’t make any mistakes. This is not as easy as it seems with a track such as Monaco, where the barriers are very close and there are many corners. He kept Piastri behind for the whole race, not giving him any chance. Behind them, the other Ferrari secured third place adding to the tally of great championship points to the Scuderia.
But the priority, the real event, was the race winner who led every lap of. Charles Leclerc was the winner of the Monaco Grand Prix and his liberating scream said it all.
The final moments of the Monaco Grand Prix 🥺
Goosebumps from @AlexJacquesF1#F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/wQff1Mdbgb
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 26, 2024
He crossed the finish line between the cheers and tears of every fan, from the marshalls to the Prince of Monaco Albert II.
“It’s the win of my dreams, on the track where everything started. I thought about my dad a lot, it’s because of him if I’m here today, but also because of Jules Bianchi. Thanks to Ferrari for giving me the chance to have this day”, Charles Leclerc said right after the race, keeping his tears at bay.
On the podium, he let out a sigh of relief while listening to the Monegasque anthem and wearing his flag around his shoulders.
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