Perhaps it was destiny that Charles Leclerc took his first victory in the Formula 1 Monte Carlo Grand Prix in a race with a gentle pace, as opposed to the very strong emotional charge of a success that seems to have unblocked him
May 27, 2024
CThere are victories and victories in a driver’s career. And the success of Charles Leclerc In the 2024 Formula 1 Monte Carlo Grand Prix it could be of crucial importance in the economics of the Monegasque driver’s career. Finally breaking free in your home race, observed Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur before ending up in the water during the celebrations for Charles’ victory, can only increase your self-confidence. “Successful drivers get used to winning after a while. They manage complex situations as best they can, but if things go wrong they don’t question themselves,” he observed.
C‘there was something different about Leclerc compared to his previous outings in the Principality, since the beginning of the weekend. Charles – said Vasseur after his victory – he was much calmer than in 2023, when he showed a certain nervousnessor. And this calm helped him when a pole position that seemed assured after free practice became more difficult, between the advertising sticker that prevented him from lapping as much as he wanted in Q1 and the lack of feeling in Q2, later resolved with an aggressive setting of the front wing.
As soon as he took to the track in FP1, Leclerc immediately realized he could make a difference. And he managed the pressure due to this advantage, which entails the risk of “looking like a fool if things go wrong”, as he explained to us after his pole. Having secured the precious start at the pole, Leclerc then flawlessly managed a race flattened by the premature red flag caused by Sergio Perez’s frightening accident. Changing tires after a few meters gave rise to a race with a bland pace, frustrating for a rider like Charles, who always carries his heart beyond the obstacle.
“Don’t you want to know how much margin I have?”, Charles asked his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, at a certain point, who replied no with a firmness that his predecessor would never have had. Leclerc would have liked to fully exploit the potential of his SF-24, but it was not possible, in a race in which he had to pamper the tires until the final stages. But perhaps it was fate that the most awaited victory would arrive in a composed manner, opposite to the ferocious disappointments so far at home. Not all victories have to be spectacular, and champions, as Vasseur pointed out, get used to winning.
The moment Leclerc crossed the finish line, the entire press room burst into thunderous applause.. It is a sign of how well-liked Charles, a kind soul, is in the paddock, and of the very strong emotional charge of a success that could not leave the experts indifferent. But it was already clear that everyone was hoping for this success conversations in the paddock after the pole, whispered out of fear that the curse of Monaco would fall on Charles againeven if he says he never believed in this cruelty of fate towards him.
TOSurrounded by the quiet of a linear race, Leclerc became emotional in the final laps, thinking of his father, to the many sacrifices to achieve this goal, to the dream they shared and which was about to come true. His Serene Highness Albert of Monaco also cried, so carried away by his enthusiasm that he even sang the Italian anthem on the podium. But the feeling is that a new era is now opening. With this victory and these tears, Charles closed a troubled chapter, full of pain and distortions, turning the page towards a horizon of tranquility.
There are some crucial victories in a driver’s career. Leclerc returned to success after almost two years of fasting at his home, closing a circle that he had begun to outline with his father. And he climbed to the top step of the podium with a rapidly growing Ferrari, which even seems to be able to engage in a three-way fight with Red Bull and McLaren. This battle Charles will face it as a driver ready for something big, to be conquered step by step with the calm of someone who has finally unblocked himself.
