Leclerc Admits He Was Unsure Where to Brake After Car Issues and Q3 Crash in Monaco

Charles Leclerc said he was left uncertain about his braking points around the Circuit de Monaco after qualifying fourth for his home race, with Ferrari issues affecting him throughout the weekend. Although he began strongly by topping first practice and placing second in second practice on Friday, he reported brake-related problems soon after, a concern that had also troubled him in Canada.

The problems continued on Saturday. Leclerc described the car’s braking feel in final practice as “horrendous” and was unable to improve on fourth place in qualifying after crashing into the barriers at Tabac corner on his final flying lap. He had briefly held provisional pole before being overtaken by Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking after the session, Leclerc said he was “very disappointed” and called the past two race weekends “incredibly tough,” noting that several issues had made the weekend messy for both himself and his side of the garage. He said the team had struggled in Q3 and even experienced operational problems, including leaving the garage earlier than planned, which added to the difficulty of the session.

Leclerc said he believes Ferrari can find a solution for the next race, but admitted that the current brake situation has made it difficult for him to judge where to slow the car. He said the mistake was not entirely down to braking alone, but rather a combination of factors. He also acknowledged that some errors are his own, while others are linked to the wider problems he and the team faced during the weekend.

Despite the frustration, Leclerc said his pace showed that the car still has potential. He explained that he could feel when everything was working around the Monaco circuit, but that confidence was missing when it mattered most in qualifying. He said he entered the session trying to believe in the car, but the issues made that difficult.

Leclerc compared the situation to Montreal, saying that on street circuits or tracks where confidence under braking is vital, any technical weakness is quickly exposed. He said he hopes Ferrari can deliver a normal weekend soon so he can regain the feeling he had with the car earlier in the season.

For Leclerc, the result was a painful setback at his home Grand Prix, especially after showing promising speed in practice. But his comments suggested that the bigger concern for Ferrari is not just the qualifying crash, but the unresolved braking problems that continue to undermine his performances.