Red Mist: Ferrari at Monaco, WTF was that?

Ferrari arrived at the Monaco Grand Prix expecting the worst. Yet Leclerc dominated practice, missed pole by a hair’s breadth, and ended second, all over winner Norris' tail. Charles’ rollercoaster sentiments are worthy of a little mirth. But Ferrari’s lack of a cooking clue where it actually is with its feisty SF-25 is more a cause for concern.

“I’m expecting a very difficult weekend,” Leclerc confessed in the lead-up. “Monaco will expose the weakness of our car,” the Monegasque proposed for his home race. “So I don't know what to expect. The car hasn't been particularly strong in low-speed corners and there are only low-speed corners here in Monaco.

“So on paper, it doesn’t look like the most promising track for us. But Monaco is so unique and so different from anything we race on over the season that we can have a good surprise once we put the car down, which I hope will happen. If it works, then I hope to be there on Saturday because qualifying remains the most important part of the weekend. But on paper, it’s going to be a tough one."

Then Leclerc went out and blitzed Monaco in FP1. Bemused, he reported: "It’s too early to feel positive and I'm not fully convinced, but maybe I’m a little more convinced.” Then Charles stayed quickest in FP2. "It's too early to tell, but let's say that Friday has been very positive and I'm feeling pretty good with the car.”

Still quickest Saturday morning, the home boy mused: "Yes, the one-lap pace was strong. Whatever compound we were on, I felt quite comfortable and the lap time was coming pretty quickly. That's always a good sign. Qualifying is fundamental around here though, so we've got to be starting in front if we want a good result."

All of which made Charles bitching about ending second on the grid rather funny. "I’m just so frustrated,” Leclerc moaned after qualifying. “We know that we don't quite have the car to go for wins this year, but this weekend, the car really felt good. Starting second here, it is going to be tricky to win, but this was the best we could do."

“Anyway, I think the car was really good and I'm proud of the result today,” Leclerc admitted after ending second in the pathetic Monaco procession. “It looked like it would be a very difficult weekend for us, but at the end of the day, it's not that bad."

Looking ahead, a third of the way into a season where he sits fifth in the chase on less than half of leader Piastri’s points, with Ferrari third in a battle with Red Bull, where both teams’ points added together still cannot match McLaren on its own, Leclerc remains pessimistic on his chances going forward.

"On a track like this, with so many bumps and kerbs, our car actually performed surprisingly very well,” Charles concluded. “This is helping us, but unfortunately only on such an extreme circuit like here."

All of which makes one wonder: WTF is really going down at Maranello? Because judging the formbook versus Charles and Ferrari’s own predictions, the car defies its alleged lack of pace more often than it holds those prophecies true.

So, with the rest of its much-anticipated upgrade allegedly breaking cover at Barcelona this weekend, will the SF-25 prove its pessimistic team and drivers wrong again? Let’s see what Sunday brings… Viva España! Forza Ferrari!