Monégasque driver Charles Leclerc delivered a solid points finish in the Sprint race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Saturday, May 23, crossing the line in fifth place for Scuderia Ferrari.
Leclerc gained valuable ground in a tightly packed Sprint field but was unable to break into podium contention as Mercedes and McLaren set the pace in Montreal. The Sprint was won by George Russell, ahead of Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli, with Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton completing the top five ahead of Leclerc.
Starting from sixth on the Sprint grid, Leclerc maintained consistent pace over the short-format race and brought home key championship points for Ferrari in a competitive midfield battle. His result also reflected Ferrari’s strong overall presence, with both cars running inside the top six during much of the Sprint.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s main race, Leclerc will start eighth on the grid for the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The Ferrari driver will line up behind teammate Lewis Hamilton in fifth and Max Verstappen in sixth, placing him in the middle of a tightly contested group as he aims to move forward over the full Grand Prix distance.
With Mercedes locking out the front row and McLaren also starting strongly inside the top four, Ferrari faces a strategic challenge to convert race pace into podium contention on a circuit known for close racing and limited overtaking windows.
Leclerc will be targeting a strong start on Sunday, May 24 to climb into the top group and maximise points from a weekend that remains finely balanced heading into the Grand Prix proper.
Image courtesy of @ScuderiaFerrari on X