Charles Leclerc odds: 10/1 to win Drivers’ Championship after Monaco success

After holding his nerve in a dramatic race on Sunday, Charles Leclerc achieved his boyhood dream by winning the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Monegasque driver enjoyed a weekend he will never forget at his home grand prix and now the Ferrari ace is 10/1 to win the Drivers’ Championship this season.

With Leclerc showing great pace in qualifying and Max Verstappen struggling on the streets of Monte Carlo, could this be a turning point in the season that may finally put an end to the wait for an exciting battle for the Championship?

Leclerc achieves lifelong dream

Having taken the chequered flag in Monte Carlo, Leclerc admitted he’d achieved his “ultimate dream” by winning his home race.

A collision between the two Haas cars and Red Bull driver Sergio Perez caused a red flag that switched the tactics for this high-profile race.

Ferrari have come under deserved criticism in the past for their race management and reliability but there was no sign of that on Sunday, as Leclerc came home with the victory.

Not only was it a memorable win for Leclerc, it was also a weekend that saw Verstappen show vulnerability that has been rarely seen with the flying Dutchman in recent years.

Verstappen changed his tyres with 26 laps remaining and, while he did show good pace in the latter stages of the race with his improved grip, the reigning world champion had to settle for sixth place and just six points to his Drivers’ Championship total.

While it was a disappointing weekend for Verstappen, he is still the overwhelming 1/33 favourite to finish top of the standings at the end of the season to claim a fourth world title.

Verstappen has responded well to setbacks in the past and now all eyes will be on how this fierce competitor performs over the intriguing meetings to come.

Leclerc must pile on pressure

Having seen Verstappen struggle in Monte Carlo, Leclerc and Ferrari must look to make the most of any advantage they might have to narrow the gap in the Drivers’ Championship.

Leclerc finds himself in second place in the standings, with 31 points between himself and frontrunner Verstappen, who has already won five races this season.

More weekends like the one in Monte Carlo and Leclerc would see the odds of 10/1 for him to win the Drivers’ Championship quickly shorten.

With team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr in fourth place in the standings and also impressing this season, the pair of Ferraris will be doing all they can to pile the pressure on Verstappen over the coming weeks.

All eyes on Montreal

After the glitz and the glamour of the Monaco Grand Prix, the F1 circus heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix on 9th June.

Verstappen has dominated at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in recent years, winning both of the last two races in 2022 and 2023.

The race has not been as kind to Leclerc, whose best finish in Montreal came in 2019 when he managed to finish in third place on the podium in his Ferrari.

Leclerc did finish fourth in last year’s race and will be hoping his recent improvement in pace can see him challenge Verstappen for the chequered flag in Canada.

The street circuit of Monte Carlo could not be more different to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and once again qualifying will be key.

Verstappen admitted he struggled to keep up with the pace Leclerc showed in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix and all eyes will be on how both drivers shape up in the sessions ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

Formula 1 is crying out for a competitive battle for the Drivers’ Championship and, while there is still plenty of ground for Leclerc to make up, there are growing shoots of optimism for a tighter contest this season.

Verstappen is 4/11 to respond to the disappointment of Monte Carlo with a victory in the Canadian Grand Prix.

A win for Leclerc, available at 11/2, would be another boost for the chances of a competitive battle for the world title this season.

Leclerc will not be getting carried away after his success at Monaco but victory in Montreal would raise expectations for the Monegasque racer to challenge for a maiden Drivers’ Championship.