Ferrari Monaco GP Thriller: Leclerc’s close call fuels excitement, disappointment and scrutiny

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Ferrari Monaco GP Thriller: Leclerc’s close call fuels excitement, disappointment and scrutiny

Scott Gulbransen · Sportsnaut

Sun, May 25, 2025 ·

4 min read

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The Monaco Grand Prix delivered a strong showing for Ferrari , with local hero Charles Leclerc finishing second on the podium. Leclerc's performance was undoubtedly a highlight, driving a competitive race and keeping pressure on eventual winner Lando Norris . He even earned the fan vote for Driver of the Day. Despite not achieving the fairytale home win he'd hoped for this year, Leclerc acknowledged that being second and very close to P1 was above the team's expectations coming into Monte Carlo, considering Ferrari's recent form.

The weekend was also tinged with the feeling of what could have been. Charles Leclerc himself admitted he and the team lost the race during qualifying. He didn't mince his words when asked if he was happy with the P2 on his home circuit.

"Not really, but at the end of the day, we lost the race yesterday," Leclerc said after the Monaco GP. "We should have done a better job. Lando did a better job this weekend and he deserves the win."

Pole position eluded Charles Leclerc

Pole position is notoriously crucial in Monaco, and just missing out meant the victory remained agonizingly out of reach. The unique characteristics of the Monaco track, with its focus solely on low-speed corners, seemed to suit the Ferrari SF-25 better , allowing its fundamentally sound mechanical package for this type of circuit to shine. Ferrari didn't have to compromise their setup to handle high-speed corners or excessive bottoming, issues that have plagued them on other tracks this season.

While this strong pace in Monaco was a positive, Leclerc and the team understand it doesn't necessarily translate elsewhere.

"In most of the tracks, we had to take compromises in order to not lose too much in high-speed corners," he said. "We don't have to set up the car in a way where we compromise anything here because we just focus on the low speed. And when we are on these kinds of tracks, it seems that there's some performance in the low speed from the car."

Team principal Fred Vasseur also linked the performance to Monaco's specific characteristics, including different bottoming risks. This suggests no "magic trick" or sudden breakthrough to their broader car issues .

Hamilton remains miserable so far at Ferrari

Ferrari Lewis Hamilton 2025 Monaco Grand Prix

Meanwhile, the other side of the Ferrari garage had a far less favorable weekend. Lewis Hamilton described his Monaco race as "miserable." Despite finishing fifth, a decent result considering his three-place grid penalty from qualifying for impeding Max Verstappen , Hamilton was left in "no man's land. " He finished a massive 51 seconds behind the winner, Norris, and considerably adrift of his teammate Leclerc. He was confused by some radio communications and felt he wasn't racing anyone due to the large gap.

This seems to align with former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve's recent assertion that Lewis Hamilton lacks a "personal bond" with Ferrari. Villeneuve suggested that while the Emilia Romagna GP was a home race for the team, it wasn't for Lewis Hamilton, whose true home race energy is at Silverstone. He questioned if anyone ever truly fits comfortably at Ferrari, describing the seats as hot. Despite a "much-needed morale boost" at Imola, Hamilton's struggles this year suggest he is not yet in a comfortable place performance-wise and may need to wait until next season for a world championship challenge.

Ferrari is still searching for answers heading to Spanish GP

While Charles Leclerc's podium finish and competitive pace in Monaco were a significant positive for Ferrari, demonstrating the car's potential in specific conditions, the weekend also highlighted ongoing challenges. Leclerc's missed pole showed what could have been, and Hamilton's distant finish and comments underscore a continued struggle for consistency and performance across the team. The unique nature of Monaco means this result doesn't guarantee a fix for Ferrari's broader issues, and they still await key upgrades to put the package in a better place on more conventional tracks.

The Scuderia is still far from where it needs to be in the 2025 season.

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