Leclerc expects tight battle for Monaco pole against ‘very strong’ Hamilton as he reveals practice issues

Charles Leclerc is bracing himself for a “very tight” fight with Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as the Monaco Grand Prix weekend develops – providing he can work his way through brake troubles.

Leclerc started his home event on top by setting the pace in a disrupted first practice session, before Hamilton edged ahead in FP2 – just over one tenth separating the two Ferrari machines, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen not far behind.

Speaking after hopping out of the car, Leclerc described his Friday as “very difficult”, explaining: “We’re facing quite a few issues on the brakes on my side, so we’re trying to fix those. The confidence is not at the highest level at the moment.

“Apart from that, it’s a track I love, and I’m sure that if we manage to fix those [issues] for tomorrow, it will be a good step forward. Unfortunately, it’s been since Canada that I’m struggling a little bit on that.

“We’re trying to find solutions, I hope we do for tomorrow, and if so I don’t doubt that we will do a step forward.”

Pushed on his chances of being in the mix for pole position, Leclerc added: “Max has been very strong, Red Bull have been very strong, and Lewis has been very strong as well.

“At the end of the day, it’s not been a disastrous day. We were very close to Lewis in FP2, so I’m not so worried, but it’s going to be a tough Qualifying. For sure, it’s going to be very tight. If we do a step forward with the brakes, surely it can help us for the fight for pole.”

Meanwhile, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur was keen to play down his squad’s seemingly strong start around the Principality – saying thoughts of pole or victory are “a very long way” off.

Asked about the pre-weekend hype around Ferrari’s potential Monte Carlo performance level, he said: “I don’t care about this kind of approach or rumours. We have to do the job. It’s a very long way in Monaco from Friday, first to the quali, then to the race.

“The most difficult [thing] is that you have to anticipate the evolution of the track, the evolution of the grip, and you have to be always one session ahead. This is a real challenge for the team and for the drivers.

“It means that it’s still a long way [to go], and we’ll see tomorrow evening [after Qualifying] about the real pace.”

As for Hamilton’s improved form in recent times, Vasseur signed off: “For sure, it’s important, and it’s important for the competitiveness of the team. The momentum is good, but most important is that the momentum will be good tomorrow evening.”