Charles Leclerc pinpoints key areas where Ferrari needs to improve after missing out on a win at the F1 Monaco GP

Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari’s low-speed performance remains an area that still needs improvement. Speaking to the onsite media, including Sportskeeda, after the Monaco GP, the Monegasque driver explained that the unique characteristics of the street circuit, such as bumps and kerbs, played to Ferrari’s advantage in the corners.

While Ferrari is just one point behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, Leclerc admitted that in terms of raw pace and performance, they have yet to match rivals like McLaren and Red Bull consistently.

He pointed out that slow-speed corners remain a weak spot for Ferrari, ironically, the same area Red Bull have struggled with. However, unlike Red Bull, Ferrari appeared to thrive in Monaco’s twisty layout. Leclerc attributed this to the specific nature of the Monte Carlo circuit, which seemed to suit Ferrari’s car and masked its low-speed shortcomings.

Despite a strong home result, Charles Leclerc remained cautious. He revealed that he wasn’t expecting a top-three qualifying result heading into the weekend due to those lingering weaknesses. Ultimately, he believes Ferrari’s improved cornering performance in Monaco is circuit-specific and unlikely to carry over to other tracks.

Asked by Sportskeeda to pinpoint the key areas for Ferrari to improve when compared to their rivals, Charles Leclerc said:

“By far, the slow-speed corners. I think this is our biggest weakness by far. That’s why also I came here very pessimistic and saying that I thought top 10 would already be a challenge. Our low-speed performance is very poor. I think on a track like this, with so many bumps and kerbs, our car is actually performing very well. This is helping us, but unfortunately, it’s only going to help us on such an extreme track like here. So yeah, we’ve got to work on our low-speed performance.”

Leclerc further talked about his podium finish in Monaco and explained what it meant for him on an individual level as well as for the team.

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Charles Leclerc was not satisfied with his second-place result in Monaco

Charles Leclerc admitted that finishing second in Monaco was not a result he was particularly overjoyed with. While he acknowledged that, from the team’s perspective, the double points haul, including Lewis Hamilton’s fifth-place finish, was a positive outcome.

However, he felt that the result fell short of his expectations. Leclerc revealed that both he and the team had been somewhat pessimistic heading into the weekend due to concerns over Ferrari’s low-speed performance. Although he described the weekend as a positive one overall, he emphasized that there is still more work to be done.

Asked whether the second-place finish in Monaco gave him pleasure, Charles Leclerc said:

"I don't know. I'm never really happy with second place. Then if you do a step back and you look at our season, I think this is a very positive result for the whole team. Especially coming here, we had very low expectations, just because our low-speed performance has been very bad all season."

"However, I think here, it's a very specific track because there are a lot of bumps, a lot of kerb riding, and I think our car is pretty good on that. That helped us to close the gap. So, yeah, I think we did a really good job, and 18 points plus the 10 of Lewis are very valuable points for the situation we are in. On that, I think we should be proud. Am I over the moon for a second place? Not really, but it's been a very positive weekend anyway,” he added.

Charles Leclerc is currently fifth in the Drivers’ Championship with a total of 79 points to his name. He trails George Russell by 20 points and is 57 points behind Max Verstappen, who sits third in the standings. Leclerc also holds a 16-point advantage over teammate Lewis Hamilton, who is in his debut season with the Maranello-based team.

Ferrari, meanwhile, has narrowed the gap to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship thanks to more consistent double points finishes. They currently sit fourth with 142 points, just one behind Red Bull and five behind second-placed Mercedes.