Charles Leclerc will be hoping that the rain showers stay well clear of his home city as he prepares to lead the pack into Turn 1 at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monegasque secured pole position on Saturday after fending off pressure from his teammate and both Red Bull cars. It is not the first time that he has woken up on race day in Monaco dreaming of a win but, despite having raced at the Circuit de Monaco six times, he has never made it to the end. The weather forecasts suggest Leclerc will face challenges during the 78-lap race, with rain showers expected late in the afternoon. However, he says that he and his team are ready for whatever the skies throw at them.
Leclerc admits: I've never raced in the wet at Monaco
In recent seasons, Ferrari have found themselves struggling to tame their car in rainy conditions, but Leclerc has no concerns over how his 2022 machine will copy, should the race turn wet. However, despite having grown up within metres of the track, rain on race day will be a first for the 24-year-old. "I don't think I've ever driven in the wet here, not of what I remember," admitted Leclerc, speaking to select members of the media ahead of the race, including RacingNews365.com . "It's going to be tricky. I mean, city tracks are very tricky. Monaco is probably one of the most challenging tracks of the season and, in the wet, I'm sure that it's even tougher. "We are ready for it. I think the last few years have been difficult for us in the wet but this year we seem to make it work. We'll see, but we'll be fine."
Will the Leclerc curse strike again?
Much of Leclerc's weekend has been spent batting away questions on his torrid record at Monaco. After failing to finish two F2 races at home, his first Monaco GP in Formula 1 saw a brake failure send him into the barrier. 2022 will be his third event in Monte Carlo with Ferrari, after the first two were ruined by a qualifying strategy mistake and gearbox damage respectively. Leclerc says there is no curse waiting to ruin his weekend as he targets a problem-free Sunday in the Principality. "I don't believe in that. I'm not superstitious at all," he said. "We've had a smooth, smooth weekend until now. "We're starting in the best place possible so, hopefully, we have a clean race tomorrow and we finally had a good result."
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