Ferrari crisis or just bad luck? The truth behind Charles Leclerc’s consecutive retirements. Ferrari renewal followed by frustration: Charles Leclerc searching for answers.

A difficult start to Ferrari’s next chapter

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari recently confirmed that their journey together will continue until 2030. Unfortunately for the Monegasque driver, the opening chapter of this new phase with the Scuderia has not unfolded in the way he would have hoped.

The contract extension was officially announced on Wednesday, June 3, just two days before the start of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, a race that always carries special significance for Leclerc as his home event.

Two costly retirements

Many expected the announcement to be celebrated with a major result in Monte Carlo, and perhaps Charles Leclerc himself shared those expectations. Confidence was high, but since the renewal was announced, Formula 1 has held two races and the Monegasque has failed to finish either of them.

Those back-to-back retirements have taken a toll not only on his championship campaign but also on his morale. The situation becomes even more difficult when compared with the results achieved by his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who secured second place in Monaco before claiming his first victory for Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The two retirements followed remarkably similar patterns. In Monaco, Charles Leclerc hit the wall during the final laps of Q3, losing the opportunity to fight for what appeared to be an achievable pole position. In Spain, another mistake while pushing for pole saw his SF-26 crash into the barriers, leaving him to start only tenth on the grid. On both occasions, the errors came while chasing a pole position that Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur believed was within reach.

Once the races got underway, however, the picture was very different. In both Monaco and Barcelona, Charles Leclerc’s pace looked promising. At times it matched Lewis Hamilton’s speed and occasionally even exceeded it, suggesting that he too could have been fighting for a podium finish or perhaps something even greater.

Unfortunately, technical problems intervened on both occasions. In Monaco, brake issues ended his race prematurely, while in Spain hydraulic problems brought another frustrating afternoon to an early conclusion.

A hidden crisis

Some observers have already begun talking about a crisis, but what Charles Leclerc is experiencing appears to be little more than a difficult period rather than a genuine decline in performance.

Across both race weekends, the Monegasque demonstrated that he still possesses the speed to compete at the front and the ability to recover after making mistakes. What he needs now is to rebuild confidence, particularly over a single qualifying lap, and finally complete a trouble-free weekend.

Above all, Charles Leclerc needs a clean and straightforward weekend. One without mistakes, technical issues or missed opportunities. If there is a crisis, it is a hidden one, rooted more in confidence and morale than in outright performance. Simply seeing the chequered flag again and converting his pace into a result could be exactly what he needs to get back on track.