Vasseur delivers blunt Ferrari assessment ahead of Monaco Grand Prix

The Ferrari team principal highlighted the unique demands of the weekend, which he expects to be particularly intriguing with the new generation of cars, before stressing the importance of qualifying and reiterating the need for flawless execution.

“Monaco is always a unique weekend and this year it will be particularly interesting with the new generation of cars, which, for the drivers, should feel quite different on this type of circuit. It is a track where qualifying, confidence and execution matter even more than usual, and where every detail can make a difference,” Vasseur noted.

The 58-year-old continued by detailing how special the race is for Charles Leclerc in front of his home crowd, before reiterating Ferrari’s approach for the weekend at the Principality.

“For Charles, it is obviously a very special race in front of his home crowd, while there is always plenty of support for Ferrari from the fans. We know how much energy he draws from racing in this environment. That said, our approach does not change: we have to stay focused, build the weekend session by session and make sure we put both drivers in the best possible position to extract the maximum from the car,” he concluded.

The Monte Carlo streets have proven to be a strong circuit for Ferrari in recent years. At the 2024 edition, the Maranello outfit secured a double podium, with Leclerc taking victory and Carlos Sainz finishing third. Last year, the team again reached the podium, with Leclerc finishing second behind eventual winner Lando Norris.

Earlier, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggested that Ferrari could be among the leading contenders for pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix. He noted that the Scuderia’s SF-26 appears particularly well suited to the tight and twisty nature of the circuit.

The SF-26 has established itself as one of the strongest cars on the grid in terms of aerodynamic and chassis performance. However, Ferrari’s decision to adopt a smaller turbo philosophy than some rivals has brought trade-offs, offering improved initial acceleration but sacrificing outright power and straight-line speed, a weakness that was particularly evident in Montreal.

Speaking to GPblog, Stella highlighted Ferrari’s underlying cornering strength as a key reason for his expectations of a strong showing in Monaco. He pointed to GPS data showing consistent competitiveness through medium- and low-speed corners, with the opening sector standing out in particular. According to him, the combination of slow corners and flowing sections plays directly into Ferrari’s strengths this season.

Those sentiments have since been echoed by McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, both of whom suggested they would not be surprised to see Ferrari start on the front row for Sunday’s race.

Earlier, Ralf Schumacher backed Lewis Hamilton to outshine Leclerc at the Monaco Grand Prix in his latest assessment of the Ferrari intra-team battle. The former Formula 1 driver threw his support behind the seven-time world champion ahead of the race in the Principality. Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Schumacher suggested Hamilton currently looks to be in a stronger position than many might have expected at this stage, particularly after his outing at the Canadian Grand Prix.