Leclerc 'feeling good', but ‘unconvinced’ Ferrari can uphold pace

Charles Leclerc dazzled his home crowd by topping both Friday practice sessions for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, but the Monegasque remains wary that Ferrari’s scintillating pace may not hold through the weekend.

Despite outpacing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and teammate Lewis Hamilton in FP2, Leclerc, a three-time pole-sitter and last year’s winner in Monte Carlo, tempered expectations after a challenging 2025 season to date, with just one podium in seven races.

His cautious outlook, paired with Hamilton’s confidence in fine-tuning his SF-25, sets the stage for a critical qualifying battle on F1’s most unforgiving circuit.

Leclerc’s Mixed Emotions

Leclerc’s Friday was a tale of triumph and turbulence. After a collision with an innattentive Lance Stroll at the Loews Hairpin in FP1, the Scuderia charger rebounded to dominate both sessions.

Yet, he remained skeptical about sustaining Ferrari’s edge.

"Maybe a bit less convinced but yeah, I’m not convinced the other way either," Leclerc said when asked if Friday had changed his expectations.

"A Friday in Monaco is always very special, very specific, I think everybody is taking a bit their reference. It is too early to feel very positive about the weekend.

"But let’s say the Friday has been very positive for us, I’ve been feeling pretty good with the car. It hasn’t started the way I wanted with the crash with Lance but after that it has been pretty smooth and I’m happy overall with the car."

Hamilton’s Hunt for Perfection

In his debut Monaco weekend with Ferrari, Hamilton complemented Leclerc’s pace with a third-place finish in FP2, just a tenth off the lead, after clocking in ninth in FP1.

The seven-time world champion saw progress but also pinpointed areas for improvement.

“It went smoothly, FP1 was still a bit of a challenge with traffic and everything, FP2 was much, much better. I have a little bit of time to find, Charles was still very quick but otherwise, a good session,” he said.

Fresh off a fourth-place finish at Imola, Hamilton is obviously acutely aware that Monaco’s qualifying demands precision.

“There is more to find in my driving, in lines, in my braking. I got one tenth for example just in Turn 1,” he noted.

“So there are bits here and there, just throughout the lap. But the car, there are subtle changes we need to make but I will not be making many changes at all.”

Read also:

• Monaco GP: Leclerc edges Piastri in disrupted FP2

With Ferrari’s SF-25 showing promise, Hamilton’s focus on refining his approach could unlock the extra edge needed to challenge Leclerc and McLaren.

As Saturday looms, Ferrari’s Friday form is promising, but Leclerc’s caution underscores the unpredictability of Monaco’s streets.

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