The promising driver and current championship leader Charles Leclerc has been given a three-place grid penalty for restricting Lando Norris during the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session this Friday. This incident brought back flashbacks from the past when the Monegasque driver crashed in his home circuit and added fuel to a new superstition.
Leclerc has had a string of unpleasant occurrences in his native Monaco, and this setback only adds to that unfortunate run of bad luck. Things always seem to go haywire for him when he drives around the streets of Monaco. Charles Leclerc has not won his home race successfully since making his debut in 2018. He has either crashed out or his prospects of finishing the race have been hampered by outside factors.
History of crashes by Charles Leclerc at the Monaco Circuit
After the tunnel in 2018, the Ferrari driver executed a risky maneuver and crashed with Brendon Hartley’s car, forcing both drivers to abandon the race. The following year, Ferrari made blunders in qualifying that put Leclerc in a disappointing 16th position, and his effort to gain positions during the race resulted in many crashes and eventually retired.
When you thought you already had all the bad luck of the world in Monaco and you lose the brakes into rascasse with one of the most iconic historical Ferrari Formula 1 car. 🙃🔫
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) May 15, 2022
Leclerc’s misfortune went beyond competitive races. At the Rascasse curve, he crashed the famous Ferrari driven by Niki Lauda. Charles Leclerc made a comment about the incident, bemoaning the sudden brake failure and the incident’s symbolic meaning of wrecking a historic Ferrari Formula 1 car, reflecting on his run of bad luck.
The driver’s hopes of breaking the Monaco curse were dashed despite a promising start in the 2022 season. Securing pole position and avoiding past mistakes, he led for 17 laps until Ferrari’s strategic errors intervened. Charles’ need for an additional pit stop allowed Sergio Perez to claim the lead, resulting in a finish with Perez in first, followed by Carlos Sainz, and Max Verstappen. Despite his efforts, the Monegasque couldn’t find a way past Verstappen that ultimately denied Leclerc the victory he had been so close to achieving.
BREAKING: Charles Leclerc has been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Norris#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/WYHxofm52k
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 27, 2023
Charles Leclerc intends to put his tough past with the demanding Monte Carlo track past him in the upcoming race day despite the grid penalty. His main objective is to have a clean weekend free of accidents concerning the walls. On the streets where he grew up, Leclerc has had three auto accidents since making his debut. Leclerc’s abilities will be put to the test at F1’s pinnacle race, the Monaco GP, which takes place this coming Sunday!
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