Leclerc saw advantage for Red Bull: "Barcelona gave us a lot of answers"

With just a few days to go before his home race, Charles Leclerc looks ahead to the weekend with La Gazzette de Monaco. He also talks about his title fight with Max Verstappen and the duels the two rivals have been involved in so far.

Ferrari has made huge strides since the 2021 Formula One season, and so started the current season along with Red Bull Racing as the favourites. Leclerc is therefore very satisfied with his season so far, although he highlights the races in Barcelona and Imola as something he 'can't forget.

Leclerc positive, but finds it hard to forget a crash

The Italian racing stable has been the faster team on several occasions this season, but that role has been interspersed with Red Bull Racing. "There were some races where we were a little less competitive than Red Bull," he admits. "I can't forget the retirement in Barcelona and the mistake in Imola, but otherwise it's been very positive."

Because Verstappen scored the maximum after his rival's failure at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Dutchman has taken over the lead in the championship. That he now finds himself in the role of hunter rather than being hunted himself makes no difference, according to Leclerc.

Leclerc on Red Bull advantage

He continued: "Before the Spanish Grand Prix we had a lot of questions because in the race we didn't perform as well as Red Bull." By this, he is referring in particular to tire degradation, from which Ferrari suffers more than its rival. "Barcelona gave us a lot of answers," he notes.

His home country is not exactly known for bringing him luck in F1 races. "It's true that I never really had luck in Monaco, but on the other hand I don't believe in adversity," says Leclerc, who is confident that his experiences at his home circuit will balance out. Moreover, he has already had bad luck recently while driving on the circuit, so the Monaco Grand Prix may go better for him this year.