“A race that is unfinished business for him” : Fred Vasseur determined to help Charles Leclerc win home race in Monaco
Charles Leclerc claimed his second consecutive podium finish last weekend, as he finished P3 in Imola. The Ferrari driver now returns to his home circuit in Monaco, where he had his share of bad luck. Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur believes that Charles Leclerc has some unfinished business in Monaco, and is determined to help him win the race.
Charles Leclerc grabbed the pole position in Monaco in 2021 and 2022, however, he could not convert this advantage into a race win. In 2021, he had to retire his car which ended his race early, whereas, he finished P4 in 2022 due to a strategic error from his team.
Hence, Fred Vasseur realizes the importance of this race from Charles Leclerc’s perspective. “A few days ago, it was our home race in Imola and this weekend, Charles will be on home turf in Monaco, a race that is unfinished business for him and we’d like to help him put it to bed,” said Vasseur.
Charles Leclerc remains optimistic about his team’s progress this year. He believes that if Ferrari can work on their straight line speed, they can compete with the likes of Red Bull and McLaren.
Fred Vasseur acknowledges the challenges posed by the Monaco circuit
Fred Vasseur acknowledged the fact that overtaking is very difficult on the narrow Monaco tracks. Hence, qualifying will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the race. He stated that the race is important for Carlos Sainz, as he claimed his maiden podium finish for Ferrari here in 2021.
“Carlos also loves racing in the Principality, where he took his first podium at the wheel of a Ferrari, so they are both very motivated. It’s generally accepted that, with the current generation of cars, overtaking is harder here than at any other track,” said Vasseur.
Fred Vasseur also spoke about the importance of Saturday’s qualifying, and how they have been preparing for the same. Ferrari currently sit second on the Constructors table, with 212 points with Red Bull leading the pack with 268 points. Charles Leclerc sits on the second place in the Drivers Championship, with 113 points as compared to Max Verstappen’s 161 points.
