Charles Leclerc said brake problems made Monaco qualifying difficult and led to a crash at Tabac on his final Q3 lap, leaving him fourth on the grid and ending his chance at pole.
Charles Leclerc said brake problems made it hard to judge where to slow down in Monaco qualifying, before a late crash at Tabac ended his chance of fighting for pole.
The Ferrari driver hit the wall on his final lap in Q3 on Saturday, June 6, 2026, and had to settle for fourth on the grid.
Formula 1's qualifying report said Leclerc struck the wall at Tabac on the last lap of the session. In a separate post-qualifying interview, Leclerc said the brake issues had made the car difficult to control and left him unsure where to brake around the circuit.
Ferrari had shown strong pace in Friday practice, with Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both near the front, raising expectations that the team could challenge for pole in Monte Carlo. Instead, Leclerc's qualifying ended with the crash, while Kimi Antonelli took pole ahead of Max Verstappen and Hamilton.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur missed qualifying for medical reasons, according to a team statement reported by Reuters.
The key question now is whether Ferrari can solve the braking problem before the race and whether Leclerc's car suffered any further damage from the incident.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.