Thank you, Charles — this time you entertained us more than usual, because you let us taste that scent of victory we had forgotten, giving us the thrill of a daunting challenge: trying to overtake your direct rival in Monte Carlo. Of course, we knew it was impossible, but watching you perform miracles on the streets of your hometown gave us the illusion it could happen. It didn’t, and that’s okay — because nothing like this had happened at any point this year.
Lando Norris won the 2025 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, fair enough, but you managed to finish almost on his tail, just three seconds behind, scaring Lando, scaring the mighty McLaren, and giving us those emotions that Ferrari would never have experienced without you.
It’s always been clear that Charles Leclerc and Monaco are one and the same. However, Ferrari arrived in the Principality in bad shape — drained of energy, with the fans’ affection tested by two disqualifications in China and the disaster on the eve of Imola, and with a car that’s inconsistent in performance and simply unreliable. There have been better moments, to say the least.
Yet Monte Carlo always offers a lifeline to those with courage, those who can improvise or conceal their weaknesses on such a slow, atypical track, where it’s essential to find that elusive tyre operating window.
It was one of the few chances that Ferrari managed to seize. Leclerc, with even minimal comfort from the car, added to it his error-free acrobatics, his risks, and his class. And he came very close to triumph. We ask again the question raised after the race: where would Ferrari be today without Charles?
Yes, it’s true, Lewis Hamilton was handed a three-place grid penalty due to a scandalous decision by the stewards, but he wasn’t particularly visible in qualifying and spent two consecutive days behind his teammate — nothing new there. Fifth place certainly doesn’t sit well with him, but it’s time for a wake-up call, and Montmeló, this coming Sunday, gives him the chance, on a real circuit — without the absurd gimmicks Monaco had to invent to try (unsuccessfully) to hide the limitations of a track that is no longer suited to modern F1. It should only host qualifying sessions on Saturdays, because the races have become a procession devoid of emotion, where glamour outweighs sporting substance.
In this chaos, Norris was masterful, and perhaps — if he has understood the lesson — his victory can mark a turning point in his turbulent career. In Monte Carlo, Lando showed speed, rhythm, and mental endurance. If he remembers that in the upcoming races, he could truly aim for the world title. Otherwise, Sunday’s race will remain a brilliant one-off, fit to be framed and remembered separately. But since a person’s balance is measured by their ability to endure suffering, maybe Norris really did turn a corner this time. In a few days, we’ll know if we were wrong.
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