Lewis Hamilton could spoil Charles Leclerc’s hopes of another Monaco fairytale, with Ralf Schumacher predicting a fascinating intra-Ferrari battle.
Formula 1 is racing on the streets of Monte Carlo this weekend, and while many of the drivers call Monaco home, for Leclerc it is an extra special event as he was born in Monaco.
Hamilton could challenge Leclerc on home turf
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However, his home race hasn’t often been kind to the local lad.
From crashes to punctures, driveshaft issues to poor strategies, it wasn’t until 2024 that Leclerc claimed his first home win, having led from lights to flag. He followed that up with a runner-up result last season.
This season, a new challenge awaits the Monegasque driver in the form of Hamilton in the same Ferrari.
The Briton is a three-time Monaco Grand Prix winner, although his last victory in the principality was back in 2019.
But fired up after his Canadian Grand Prix performance, where he was runner-up to Kimi Antonelli in his best result as a Ferrari driver, Schumacher reckons Hamilton could be Leclerc’s biggest threat this weekend.
“He sees Monaco as a major opportunity,” the former F1 driver told the Sky Deutschland podcast. “He loves Monaco and the car loves Monaco.
“The only thing is that Charles Leclerc has always been very strong in Monaco so far. That’s why I wonder which of the two will be in front.
“From what we’ve seen so far, traction, mechanical grip and especially kerbs, that was great at Ferrari, that was mega strong. That’s why they’ll be good.”
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Schumacher rules out Mercedes or Red Bull victory
Schumacher believes Ferrari’s search for a first grand prix victory in F1 2026 will be boosted by the circuit not suiting the dominant Mercedes’ W17.
Although Mercedes has won every grand prix this season, with Antonelli on a four-race winning streak, the German believes Mercedes could be on the back foot this weekend.
“Mercedes always makes other compromises, until now,” he said. “Monaco was always not optimal due to the chassis and wheelbase length of the Mercedes, but it was better on other tracks.”
As for Red Bull, he foresees a weekend of pain with the RB22 bouncing on the bumps.
“Of course, I see black again for Red Bull. The kerb issue is a problem because they just have to drive so hard all the time, especially on the front axle, because of the aerodynamics,” he declared.
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