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2024 FIA Formula One World Championship
2024 Monaco Grand Prix
Circuit de Monaco
Monaco
Sunday, 26 May 2024
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is relishing a return to the
Monaco Grand Prix as he seeks a first-ever podium in his home race on Sunday, May 26.
The Monegasque has yet to shine on home soil, with a P4 in 2022 his best performance to date for Ferrari, having only managed a P6 last season.
Leclerc is Max Verstappen's closest challenger after seven rounds as he trails the reigning three-time world champion by 48 points in second place in the drivers' standings.
The 26-year-old driver claimed his fourth podium of the year as he finished 7.916 seconds behind Verstappen in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to record back-to-back P3's.
Leclerc went over the chicane on lap 47 as he looked to push McLaren's Lando Norris and he admitted after the race that he lacked the pace on the hard tyres to keep up with the front two.
However, he believes the unique challenges posed by the Circuit de Monaco gives him a chance of achieving something special on the streets he grew up on.
"Monaco is very special for me. True that it hasn't been the most successful race for me until now. However, the pace was always there and that gives me the confidence that it will be the case this year too," Leclerc said.
"However, Monaco is so specific that we need to start a little bit from a blank page. And yeah, free practice is super, super important to build the pace little by little. But I'm confident we'll be strong.
"And as I've said many times, obviously, it's the same roads that I took by bus to go to school when I was younger. Now it's in a Formula 1 car. So that makes it extra special for me.
"So I'm really looking forward to it. To be in Monaco, a very special track I think for every driver because it's a very challenging track and extra special for me, as it's my home race."
2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix results:
Winner: Max Verstappen - Red Bull Racing
Second Place: Lando Norris - McLaren
Third Place: Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
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