Charles Leclerc puts Monaco failures behind him as he eyes historic F1 win

Charles Leclerc insists he feels no pressure at his home grand prix in Monte Carlo despite the streak of poor fortune that has plagued his performances here. The Ferrari driver believes this is the year he can see off his Monaco curse, a meeting where he has yet to make the finish line.

Leclerc is also aware that victory would help recover some of the momentum he has lost in a fierce title fight with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The 24-year-old, who was born and grew up in the principality, was relaxed speaking before Sunday’s race, despite carrying the expectations of delivering a win in front of a home crowd.

“I honestly don’t feel the pressure, I am just really happy to be here,” he said. “To be back on this amazing track it is very special for me having grown up here, on these roads I know so well. There is no added pressure, I know that the performance is in the car for a great result this weekend. I just have to get into the car and do the job and hopefully the results will be there at the end of the weekend.”

Now in his fifth season in F1 this is Leclerc’s best shot at a win on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. With Ferrari enjoying a competitive car, after the third meeting in Australia he had a 46-point lead over Verstappen but the Dutchman has since taken three wins on the trot. The last meeting in Spain was particularly painful. Ferrari’s upgrades had been successful and Leclerc had a comfortable race lead when his car suffered a turbo and MGU-H failure.

Verstappen’s 19-point championship deficit was turned into an advantage of six and Leclerc is committed to regaining his advantage, to winning and in so doing become the first Monegasque driver to win in Monaco, which has proved to be so frustratingly cruel to