Charles Leclerc’s frustration after the Monaco Grand Prix was impossible to hide.
The Ferrari driver had arrived at his home race determined to fight for victory and repeat the success he achieved in 2024. Instead, persistent brake problems that had already been troubling him for some time ultimately condemned him to yet another disappointing result on the streets of Monte Carlo.
The issue had already affected his qualifying performance, limiting him to a second-row starting position. During the race, however, it became far more serious, eventually sending him into the barriers at Antony Noghès while he was still on course for a podium finish: “Out of four brakes, three were not working at the restart after the Safety Car. In a Formula 1 car, that is never a good thing,” Charles Leclerc told the media, including ScuderiaFans.com.
“The front-left brake was working properly, the front-right brake was working at about half capacity, while the two rear brakes were not working at all.”
The Monegasque then went into greater detail regarding the severity of the issue: “And when I say they were not working at all, I mean that there was no deceleration visible in the data. It’s like having brake calipers on a brand-new road car. It’s extremely frustrating because I tried everything I could inside the car to solve the problem, but nothing worked. As a last resort, I even tried not braking into the final corner, but then I would have ended up crashing at Sainte Dévote anyway.”
Charles Leclerc also revealed additional details regarding the differences between his car and the Ferrari driven by Lewis Hamilton: “We have an internal solution that Lewis has already been using for the last three races and that I will also use from the next race onward. I hope it will be a step forward.
“I don’t think I was disadvantaged in general. However, here and in Canada, with lower temperatures and greater tyre sensitivity because you’re operating on the limit, it has been a real nightmare.”
The Ferrari driver then struggled to contain his emotions while discussing the situation: “I’m choosing my words carefully. I don’t want to say too much because I’m afraid of being too harsh, but it’s unacceptable. It is absolutely unacceptable. I look like an idiot. And when you look like an idiot because of your own mistake, that’s fine. But this? This is almost dangerous.”
Charles Leclerc was also asked about Ferrari’s strategic decision to pit him immediately behind Lewis Hamilton during the Safety Car period, a move that allowed his teammate to serve a time penalty while remaining ahead.
However, the Monegasque made it clear that, in his view, the pit stop controversy was far less important than the brake issue itself.
“Was I frustrated about stopping behind Lewis? I don’t think that should be the main story of the day. Right now, we simply need to find a solution to the brake problem. Then, when situations like this happen, I’ll be able to do my job properly. Today, I was just a passenger.”
With the Spanish Grand Prix now approaching rapidly, Ferrari faces an important task. The team must understand exactly why Charles Leclerc’s braking issues became so severe in Monaco and ensure that the solution already adopted by Lewis Hamilton can finally provide the consistency and confidence the Monegasque has been missing over recent race weekends.
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