“It should be better”: Charles Leclerc expecting change of fortune at Monza for Ferrari

Charles Leclerc expects a better performance from Ferrari at Monza this weekend. Nine races remain in a season where the Scuderia is yet to claim a Grand Prix victory, and last Sunday’s Dutch GP ended in the worst way possible - a double retirement for him and Lewis Hamilton. The setback leaves Ferrari desperate for stability at its home circuit.

Ferrari’s 2025 campaign has been uneven from the outset. Hamilton’s debut season in red has yielded little momentum, while Leclerc has shouldered the team’s results with five podiums but no wins. At Zandvoort, light rain and the banked Turn 3 ended Hamilton’s run against the outside barrier, while Leclerc’s afternoon unraveled after contact from Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli on Lap 52.

A zero-point weekend coming off the summer break underlined how narrow Ferrari’s margin for error remains. Leclerc was candid in speaking before Monza (via La Gazzetta Ferrari on X):

"Zandvoort was a very difficult one for us. I think those very long corners we seem to be struggling at, it’s not new. Here in Monza, it should be better, because at least the long corners are high-speed. And when the long corners are low-speed, that’s where we struggle."

La Gazzetta Ferrari

@GazzettaFerrari

🎙️| Charles Leclerc: "Zandvoort was a very difficult one for us. I think those very long corners we seem to be struggling at, it's not new." "Here in Monza, it should be better, because at least the long corners are high-speed. And when the long corners are low-speed, that's

The distinction is telling. Ferrari’s SF-25 performs more comfortably where downforce and velocity combine. Spa-Francorchamps earlier this year saw Charles Leclerc and Hamilton finish third and fourth. By contrast, slower technical corners expose instability like Hungary’s tight, low-speed layout left Hamilton outside the points entirely.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari after a crash during the F1 Grand Prix of the Netherlands. Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, faces his own headwinds. An early-season adaptation period, compounded by mechanical gremlins and strategy miscues, has meant he trails his teammate considerably.

All five Ferrari podiums belong to Leclerc, underlining the imbalance. A five-place grid penalty from a yellow-flag infringement at Zandvoort adds another obstacle. Yet Monza offers a psychological reset. It is Hamilton’s first race in Ferrari red at the team’s spiritual home.

---

Charles Leclerc counts on Monza magic despite Ferrari hurdles

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari after winning the F1 Grand Prix of Italy. Source: Getty

Charles Leclerc knows this circuit can rewrite narratives. Last September, Ferrari stunned McLaren with a one-stop gamble, eking out track position to deliver an unlikely home triumph. The win lit up the grandstands and reaffirmed the power of Monza’s atmosphere to lift the team beyond form sheets. Asked about repeating that feat, the No. 16 driver admitted the scale of the challenge (via Ferrari):

"Repeating last year’s victory will be almost impossible. We definitely can’t be considered the favourites, but Monza is Monza, and I’ll never stop trying. Winning on this track, in front of our tifosi, is so special that I can only have one goal this weekend."

The tifosi will witness Ferrari in a special livery. The SF-25s of Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will don clean white flashes along the engine cover in retro-style, and heritage wheel covers, paying tribute to Niki Lauda’s 1975 title-winning season.

Monza’s long straights, DRS zones, and slipstream duels rarely forgive mistakes, but for Charles Leclerc, the venue has often meant renewal. After the heartbreak of Zandvoort, a clean weekend would steady Ferrari’s late-season push. The SF-25 may lack the outright pace of McLaren, but team principal Fred Vassuer is content with the car.

For tifosi and team alike, the equation is simple: execute flawlessly, trust the car’s high-speed competence, and let Monza’s fervor supply the rest.