One mistake, then a second crucial one on the most glamorous curve in Monte Carlo, the Tabaccheria (Tabac): it is there that Charles Leclerc sideswiped his Ferrari, broke the rear suspension, and threw away his best shot at pole position. At his home race, where he knows every inch of the asphalt and where he had already managed to put the Scuderia at the front of the grid three times before. Even this time, just moments before that brush with the wall, he was ahead of both Antonelli and Verstappen. Head down, scowling. It was a disappointing fourth place for the Monégasque, who has just renewed his commitment to the Scuderia. It was a cold shower for Maranello as well, who were without Team Principal Fred Vasseur (currently in the hospital for check-ups, though he is doing well): the early practice sessions had shown highly promising signs, offering a real chance to rewrite the rules of the game, at least here.

Leclerc: “Hard to reach the level of those in front”

“I don’t have confidence in the car right now.” Issues with brake balance—which says it all on a circuit where you absolutely must have the car completely under control. “It’s a specific problem that I’ve had since Canada. We have the solution, but I didn’t want to try it here; I thought I would find the right feeling again. If you don’t have confidence, it’s too risky. I pushed too hard and paid the price. A comeback at the start? I hope so, but I think it’s going to be very difficult to reach the level of those in front.” Leclerc on his renewal: “I had offers from other teams, but I love Ferrari and I believe in this project.”

Hamilton: “Car felt drastically different compared to practice”

And right ahead of him is Lewis Hamilton. Not a minor detail for Charles. The 7-time world champion, accompanied by his girlfriend Kim Kardashian, was only half-satisfied: “It was tough for us. We were very competitive in practice, and we changed almost nothing apart from a few adjustments, yet the car felt drastically different in qualifying. We took a step backward and we need to understand why. I gave it my all, staying as close to the barriers as possible.” It wasn’t enough to secure his first pole position in red.