From mechanical failures to heartbreaking tactical errors, the Ferrari star’s homecoming repeatedly dissolved into chaos. The relentless string of misfortune haunted Monte Carlo’s most talented local hero.
Few storylines in modern Formula 1 carry as much emotional weight as Charles Leclerc's relationship with his home race. In six attempts at the Monaco Grand Prix — held on the very streets where he was born and raised — the Ferrari driver failed to see the checkered flag a single time.
A painful combination of bad luck, mechanical failures, team errors, and racing misfortune turned what should have been one of sport's great fairy tales into one of its most haunting recurring sagas. The circuit itself is notoriously unforgiving.
Monaco is widely regarded as one of the most demanding tracks on the entire Formula 1 calendar. Its narrow, winding layout threading through the streets of Monte-Carlo offers virtually no margin for error.
So the smallest mistake almost always ends in a significant barrier strike. For a driver trying to perform in front of his home crowd while carrying the weight of his nation's expectations, the pressure is unlike anything felt at any other race weekend.
What is Charles Leclerc's Monaco curse?
Leclerc's first taste of Monaco came in 2017 during the Formula 2 season. He was immediately quick — taking pole position and setting what remains the fastest F2 lap ever recorded at the circuit. But a problem during a pit stop caused a suspension failure, and he was forced to retire before the race reached its conclusion. A bitter early lesson at a track that would go on to cause him so much heartbreak.
When Leclerc graduated to Formula 1 with Alfa Romeo, his debut at Monaco was similarly frustrating. Starting from 14th on the grid, he spent most of the race running quietly without incident — until lap 72, when a brake failure sent him crashing into the back of Brendon Hartley. Both drivers retired on the spot, and Leclerc's front-left suspension was left in pieces.
His first Monaco weekend wearing Ferrari red brought enormous pressure and even more disappointment. He failed to make it through Q1, qualifying 15th, and the weight of needing to deliver a strong result for Maranello pushed him into an error. Trying to pass Nico Hülkenberg at Turn 12, he suffered a rear-right tyre puncture that caused severe damage. The car was withdrawn from the race on lap 10.
The 2021 edition looked like it would finally be different. Leclerc delivered a stunning pole lap of 1:10.346, but a final push to extend his advantage over Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton ended in a crash that heavily damaged his gearbox. Ferrari worked through the night to repair the car — only for Leclerc to detect an engine power loss on the formation lap. The SF-21 never made the start.
Then, at the 2022 Historic Monaco Grand Prix, driving Niki Lauda's legendary Ferrari 312 B3, Leclerc lost his brakes approaching a corner, attempted to scrub speed using the engine, and spun the car into the barriers rear-first. After the Canadian GP, it's time for a race that's had taken on almost mythological proportions for a driver who deserved so much better from the race he calls home.
