In his first Monaco Grand Prix win, Charles Leclerc led from start to finish on home turf following a major crash that halted the race right at the beginning.
Leclerc fended off an early challenge from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to secure his first victory since July 2022. His Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz claimed third place, with Lando Norris finishing fourth.
Max Verstappen settled for sixth, between the Mercedes of George Russell in fifth and Lewis Hamilton in seventh, narrowing his championship lead over Leclerc to 31 points.
Ferrari’s double podium puts them just 24 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings after eight rounds.
The race was stopped on the first lap due to a significant crash involving Kevin Magnussen, Sergio Perez, and Nico Hulkenberg after Turn One, with all three drivers escaping injury despite the high-speed collision.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda secured points for the third consecutive race with eighth place, ahead of Alex Albon, who earned Williams their first points of the season, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in 10th. If you want to bet on thrilling Formula 1 races, check out the latest odds and place your bets on https://india.1xbet.com.
Leclerc breaks the Monaco curse
Despite previously securing pole position twice in Monaco, Leclerc had never finished on the podium due to past misfortune or team errors. The 26-year-old sensed another opportunity when he clinched the pole on Saturday with an impressive lap and made a strong start before the race was stopped due to a major accident involving Perez and the Haas drivers.
Sainz encountered a stroke of luck after sustaining a puncture following contact with Piastri, halting at Turn Four on the initial start, only to return to his starting position of third for the restart.
With the race suspended, everyone changed tires to comply with the rule of using two different compounds during the race.
The Ferraris and McLarens switched from mediums to hards, while Russell, Verstappen, and Hamilton switched from hards to mediums. This time, the restart proceeded smoothly, with the top 10 maintaining their positions, a trend that persisted for the remaining 78 laps around Monaco.
Initially, Leclerc drove cautiously to preserve his tires and keep the pack together, preventing Piastri or Norris from attempting an undercut.
Piastri closed in during the first 20 laps but couldn’t apply enough pressure on the Ferrari driver, who pulled away in the final stages to win by 7.1 seconds. Sainz faced constant pressure from Norris throughout the race for third place but managed to hold off the British driver and secure his fourth podium finish of the year.
Chaos and a Massive Crash Lead to a Red Flag
The race was halted on the opening lap after Kevin Magnussen collided with Sergio Perez on the uphill stretch toward Turn Two.
Magnussen was alongside Perez when they collided, spinning and collecting Nico Hulkenberg in a high-speed crash that scattered debris everywhere.
“I trusted that he would leave space for me since I was there. It’s not a corner where you brake; it’s a bend on the straight, so you must have a car, or else you leave the other driver no choice.”
Later in the lap, Esteban Ocon attempted to pass Alpine teammate Gasly at Turn Eight [Portier], resulting in a collision that sent Ocon’s car airborne. Both drivers continued, but Gasly expressed frustration with Ocon, asking “what was he doing!” over the team radio. Ocon’s car sustained too much damage, forcing him to retire, but Gasly restarted and secured his first point of the season in 10th place.
Damage control for Verstappen
Verstappen trailed Russell for most of the race in sixth place and faced no pressure from Hamilton, who seemed to question his team’s decision to start the race on hard tires when he said, “I told you so” over the radio during the red flag.
Hamilton pitted with 27 laps remaining for hard tires, prompting Red Bull to pit Verstappen a lap later. Mercedes left Russell out, so Verstappen chased him down but couldn’t find a way past.
“We ended up where we started. The red flag ruined the strategy,” Verstappen said. “From Lap One of the restart, it was driving four seconds slower and relaxed. No challenge at all. Just really, really boring.”
Statements From the Top Three
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 1st:
“Words can’t describe it. It’s such a tough race; I think the fact that I’ve started from pole position twice before but haven’t quite made it adds to the satisfaction in a way.
“It’s incredibly meaningful, of course. This is the race that inspired me to dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver one day.
“With fifteen laps to go, you’re just hoping that nothing goes wrong, and the emotions come flooding in.
“My dad has sacrificed everything for me to be here, and it was our dream for me to race here and win, so it’s unbelievable.”
Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 2nd:
“Tough race. The pace was incredibly slow at the start. I made a half-hearted attempt before the tunnel, but my car wasn’t small enough to fit into the gap!
“Thanks to the team. It’s been a fantastic weekend all around. It feels good to put a result on the board. I’ve been performing well in recent weekends but didn’t have the results to show for it.
“Charles has been exceptional all weekend. They’ve been fast right from the start.
“I’m pleased with second place. It’s a good result for the team. I’m very, very happy.”
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari – 3rd:
“It was a close race and a terrible feeling on lap one, which quickly turned into a really positive feeling after being reinstated in third place.
“After that, the race pace was good as expected; it’s just impossible to overtake on the streets of Monaco.
“But I’m extremely happy to see Charles win his home Grand Prix.
“Sharing this podium with him in third place is fantastic for the entire team, and it feels like we’re growing stronger and stronger.”
Formula 1 bid farewell to Europe for the final time before the summer break as the championship heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Catch every session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from June 7-9 live on Sky Sports F1, with the race on Sunday at 7p.
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