Legendary Ferrari boss states Charles Leclerc ‘really deserves’ to win the F1 Monaco GP

Legendary Ferrari boss Jean Todt has praised Charles Leclerc, claiming that the Monegasque driver 'really deserves' to win the 2023 Monaco GP.

Leclerc is currently on the back foot compared to his rivals in 2023. The Ferrari star's season has not started off as per plan as he has failed to impress in the opening stages of the season. He did manage to score a podium in Baku but showed disappointing pace the following weekend in Miami.

Leclerc has had terrible luck in his home race and has finished the race only once in 2022. Even then, he finished the race in P4 due to a botched strategy by Ferrari despite having started in pole position. The former Sauber driver has a tendency to end up with DNFs in Monaco, leading to some calling it a 'curse.'

Jean Todt, who led Ferrari to immense success with Michael Schumacher, hopes Charles Leclerc fares better this time around in Monaco. Todt's son Nicholas manages Leclerc, giving him a personal connection with the 2022 championship hopeful.

Speaking to "Monaco Info" about the Ferrari driver, Todt said:

"A particularly emotional look since my son is his manager. He is an extremely talented driver and he really deserves to win this Monaco GP..."

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Peter Windsor on Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc's plan for the 2023 Monaco GP

According to F1 pundit Peter Windsor, Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur will prioritize avoiding any collisions during the upcoming Monaco GP. Leclerc's qualifying session in Miami had a costly mistake, resulting in a seventh-place starting position.

The Ferrari driver's performance in the 2023 season has been less than ideal, with only one podium finish so far in Baku. Compared to his competitors at Red Bull, particularly Max Verstappen, he is currently trailing significantly in the drivers' standings.

In an effort to bring the team back to its former glory, Vasseur was appointed last year, replacing Mattia Binotto. However, the current season has been disappointing for the Scuderia team thus far.

Amidst all the media speculation surrounding them, Peter Windsor expressed his hope that Leclerc and Vasseur can remain focused on achieving a positive outcome in Monaco. He believes their primary objective should be to deliver a strong performance without distractions.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Windsor said:

"I will be fascinated to see how Charles and Freddie Vasseur go into Monaco and how they handle Monaco. Because regardless of how bad the Ferrari is - or good or mediocre it is - Charles will be quick around Monaco.

"The question is, stopping him hitting anything and getting him on the pole and obviously winning the race. Part of that is Freddie's responsibility, in my view."

It will be interesting to see if 2023 will finally see Charles Leclerc's Monaco curse be lifted.