Charles Leclerc vows he and Ferrari will “go for it” at the F1 2025 Monaco GP as the 27-year-old issues a warning to his rivals that the team have nothing to lose compared to McLaren and Red Bull.
The Scuderia are yet to make a serious impression on the Formula 1 season, with just one Grand Prix podium to their name leaving them languishing winless and fourth in the constructors’ standings.
However, Monte Carlo is special to the Monegasque ace and he is keen to leave his mark on the Circuit de Monaco as he warns he will leave everything out on the track by taking extra risks with zero expectation.
It’s something he also did in 2021 to beat Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton to pole, and it’s part of why Leclerc issues a warning to his F1 rivals ahead of the 2025 Monaco GP that he can potentially do it again.
“Well, it can make a difference,” Leclerc told members of the media, including Total-Motorsport.com, of driver impact. “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 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.
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“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.”
Can Ferrari win the F1 2025 Monaco GP?
The man from Monaco has an impressive qualifying record at the circuit, having secured pole in 2021, 2022 and 2024; although rotten luck has meant he could only convert last year into a triumph.
So can he and Ferrari finally get a slice of fortune in 2025? Sadly, he thinks the team will be on the back foot due to an inherent weakness with the SF-25 concept when it comes to slow corners.
“If you want an honest answer, then low,” Leclerc added. “Because unfortunately our car hasn’t been particularly strong in low-speed corners. And there’s only low-speed corners here in Monaco.
“So on paper, it doesn’t look like the most promising track for us but Monaco is so unique and so different from anything we race on over the season that we can have a good surprise once we put the car down tomorrow.
“Which I hope will happen and if it does, then I hope to be there on Saturday because qualifying will remain the most important part of the weekend. But on paper, it’s going to be a tough one.”
