What is the F1 Monaco Grand Prix curse?

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Saudi Arabia, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Monaco Grand Prix

What is the Monaco Grand Prix curse?

Charles Leclerc has struggled around his home circuit

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 24 May 2025 22:57

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When Charles Leclerc FINALLY won his home grand prix last year around the streets of Monaco, you may have heard that the 'Monaco Grand Prix curse' had been broken.

Indeed, before that victory, Leclerc and Ferrari had suffered years of bad luck at his home circuit, allowing a plethora of his rivals to take victories he really should have had in the bag.

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Take 2021, for example, when Leclerc had managed to put himself on pole in the principality for the first time, but a failure in his left driveshaft was discovered on his reconnaissance lap to the grid, and the Monegasque was not even able to start the race.

Or 2022, when Leclerc once again started on pole and was looking good to claim victory, but for a botched Ferrari strategy that left him finishing down in fourth. Amazingly, however, that afternoon was the first time he had ever finished a race in Monaco.

Leclerc subject to rotten Monaco luck

Before those two missed opportunities for a race victory, Leclerc had also suffered a DNF when he raced around the streets of Monaco with the Prema Racing team in F2. That was in 2017, and he had also taken pole position for that particular race.

In 2018, Leclerc was racing for Sauber in F1, and a collision with Toro Rosso racer Brendan Hartley six laps from the end meant that he was not classified, before a similar incident the next season with Nico Hulkenberg when racing for Ferrari.

He had, however, started that 2019 race down in 15th, not a position you want to be on the first lap of a race in Monaco.

After a year off in 2024 as the 27-year-old claimed a stunning win at last around the track, it seemed during Friday practice this year as though the curse had come back to bite Leclerc once more, as the Monegasque driver collided with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll.

The incident was through no fault of Leclerc's, with Stroll drifting onto the racing line in a move that caused him to be given a one-place grid penalty for Sunday's race.

Leclerc quickly changed his front wing, and was back out onto the circuit to continue with his preparations for the weekend.

'Phew!' a huge gaggle of Ferrari and Leclerc fans would have exclaimed, but it could be proof that the dreaded curse has not done with the 27-year-old just yet, as he searches for back-to-back wins at the track.

He will line up P2 behind Lando Norris for lights out on Sunday knowing that his getaway from the line will be crucial if he has a chance to make it back-to-back victories in Monte Carlo.