"The case for witchcraft is getting stronger and stronger!" for Charles Leclerc, says F1 commentator

F1 commentator Jack Nicholls has jokingly attributed Charles Leclerc’s continued bad luck in his home race to “witchcraft”. He claimed that the Ferrari driver’s misfortune at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP couldn’t be explained otherwise.

Speaking on the Chequered Flag podcast, Nicholls said:

“The chances… when he’s on pole, and then he does the job still – he’s still nailing it. Even the ones where he’s been leading in F2, and the car fails. I don’t believe in [the curse], but the case for witchcraft is getting stronger and stronger!”

After taking a sensational pole for the Monaco GP, Charles Leclerc was expected to finally break his 'home curse' and take an easy victory. A rain-affected race on Sunday, however, complicated matters for the Monegasque as Ferrari failed to make good strategy calls at decisive moments.

Leclerc did manage to finish a race around Monaco for the first time in any racing category after crossing the line in P4 behind the two Red Bulls and his teammate Carlos Sainz. It was, however, a scant consolation prize for the Ferrari driver, given his impressive pace in the dry.

Jack Nicholls felt that Leclerc’s misfortune around Monaco was remarkable given how badly things have turned out for him throughout his single-seater career at the venue. He added, saying:

“But then, when you’re on pole in Monaco… Jarno Trulli has won from pole in Monaco (in 2004)! It’s the first wet Monaco race in six years, the second wet Monaco race in 12 years – wet Monaco races don’t come along very often!”

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Charles Leclerc deserved to win after “performing optimally” at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP, claims Dutch racer

Dutch sportscar racing driver Jeroen Bleekemolen has claimed that Charles Leclerc deserved to win the 2022 F1 Monaco GP after “performing optimally” throughout the weekend.

Bleekemolen believes Leclerc couldn’t have done anything differently in the race and feels that it would have been difficult for him to direct strategy from the lead. Speaking to the Motorsport Network, the Dutchman said:

“It’s difficult. You are in the lead, and you have pressure on your shoulders. He hasn’t done anything wrong. He was performing optimally. He did very well and based on speed he really deserved to win.”

Charles Leclerc was in fine form throughout the Monaco GP weekend and seems to have had enough pace to keep his nearest challengers at bay.

On a weekend where his championship rival Max Verstappen struggled for pace, Leclerc was on course for an easy victory before several strategic blunders from Ferrari cost him the race.