Charles Leclerc’s “bogey circuit” problem highlighted after Canadian GP setback. Martin Brundle says Charles Leclerc still lacks a key trait shared by Formula 1 greats.

Former Formula 1 driver and respected pundit Martin Brundle has suggested that Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc is still missing a key trait shared by all multiple world champions, after another challenging weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix exposed recurring weaknesses at certain circuits.

Although Charles Leclerc ultimately finished fourth in Montreal, the result told only part of the story. The Ferrari driver’s position was significantly influenced by external factors, including a strategic misstep from McLaren during the opening stages of the race and a retirement for Mercedes driver George Russell, both of which removed key competitors from contention.

Without those incidents, analysis suggests Charles Leclerc would likely have finished closer to seventh place based purely on race pace. His race was also compromised by a half-spin at the exit of the final chicane, which cost valuable time and further widened the gap to his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished more than thirty seconds ahead on merit.

Martin Brundle highlights Lewis Hamilton dominance over Charles Leclerc in Canada

Throughout the entire Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton maintained a clear advantage over Charles Leclerc in both qualifying and race conditions. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion consistently outperformed his Ferrari teammate across all segments of qualifying, including both the Sprint and Grand Prix sessions.

While Charles Leclerc managed to recover slightly during the Sprint race, Lewis Hamilton remained the stronger Ferrari driver across the full weekend, demonstrating superior consistency, tyre management, and confidence with the SF-25 package in changing conditions around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

In contrast, Charles Leclerc openly described the Canadian Grand Prix as one of the most difficult weekends of his Formula 1 career, highlighting his struggles to extract performance from the car and adapt to the track layout, which has historically been a weak point in his record.

Despite his reputation as one of the most talented single-lap drivers on the grid, Charles Leclerc has only managed one podium finish in six appearances in Montreal as a Ferrari driver. Even more concerning for the Monegasque driver is the fact that he has failed to qualify higher than eighth in his last five Canadian Grand Prix weekends, reinforcing the idea of a persistent “bogey circuit” within his Formula 1 career.

Martin Brundle, however, believes that elite drivers cannot afford to have such weaknesses if they want to compete for world championships. Writing in his Sky Sports column, he explained that Lewis Hamilton appeared far more comfortable throughout the weekend, praising the Ferrari driver’s ability to adapt to a moving car at high speed and maintain confidence under pressure.

At the same time, Martin Brundle pointed out that Charles Leclerc struggled significantly on the same layout and was clearly outperformed by Lewis Hamilton across all key performance indicators during the race weekend.

According to Martin Brundle, the very best Formula 1 drivers, particularly multiple world champions, do not have “favourite” or “weak” circuits. Instead, they are expected to deliver their “A game” at every single event, regardless of track characteristics, with success often depending only on execution, strategy, and a degree of luck.

Charles Leclerc faces growing pressure as Lewis Hamilton sets benchmark at Ferrari

Historical data further highlights the challenge Charles Leclerc faces in Canada. In the previous season, Lewis Hamilton also outqualified his Ferrari teammate at the same venue, continuing a pattern where the British driver has been able to extract stronger one-lap performance at certain circuits.

Charles Leclerc’s struggles are not limited to Montreal alone. The Monegasque driver was also outperformed by former teammates Carlos Sainz during the 2022 season and Sebastian Vettel in 2019 at the same track, reinforcing the notion that Canada remains one of his most difficult venues in Formula 1.

Earlier in the current season, Charles Leclerc himself admitted that the Chinese Grand Prix represented another weak point in his performance profile, once again being outpaced by Lewis Hamilton in comparable conditions.

By contrast, Charles Leclerc continues to demonstrate exceptional speed at street circuits, particularly at his home race in Monaco, where his precision and confidence behind the wheel have historically made him one of the standout performers on the Formula 1 calendar.

Looking ahead, Ferrari are widely considered among the favourites for strong results at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, with rival teams acknowledging the Scuderia’s potential competitiveness on the tight street layout. This presents Charles Leclerc with a valuable opportunity to reset his momentum and potentially secure his first victory since 2024, provided he can outperform Lewis Hamilton in equal machinery.

As the intra-team battle between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton continues to develop, Ferrari will be closely watching whether their Monegasque driver can eliminate recurring weak spots and consistently deliver the level required to match a seven-time world champion across all types of circuits in the 2025 Formula 1 season.