MONACO – Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the restarted Monaco Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday, claiming his first Formula One victory in almost two years.
Leclerc he was on a pole for the third time in four years, but had never stood on the podium before his home race. His first victory since Austria in July 2022 takes his career tally to six, all with Ferrari.
“Tonight is going to be vital,” he told his team over the radio.
Winning Monaco was special for him because he grew up in an apartment overlooking the start and finish line and watching the cars pass by below.
“No words can explain it. It was this race that made me want to become a Formula 1 driver one day,” said 26-year-old Leclerc. “Seeing so many of my friends on the balcony, so many people I know. This is of great importance to me.”
The last 15 laps were the hardest as he realized how much winning would mean.
“I must admit I was thinking about my dad,” Leclerc said his deceased father. “It was our dream to race here and win, so it’s unbelievable.”
Championship leader Max Verstappen is fighting for his fourth consecutive F1 title and after eight races his advantage over second-place Leclerc has decreased to 31 points (169-138).
Verstappen he started and finished the race in sixth place for Red Bull, whose second driver Sergio Perez was eliminated from the race after a earnest accident on the first lap.
Catastrophe it also eliminated Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, and caused the race to be red-flagged for 40 minutes. Nothing happened to the drivers.
The race restarted on lap 3 of 78 and the drivers set off calmly but slowly, with Leclerc getting to grips with his tires on a track notoriously arduous to overtake.
Leclerc finished about eight seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and nine seconds clear of Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. in third.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was fourth, while Mercedes driver George Russell overtook Verstappen to take fifth place.
Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh, with Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls), Alex Albon (Williams) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) completing the top ten. starting gridreflecting Monaco’s reputation as the most arduous track to overtake in F1.
“The pace was incredibly ponderous at the beginning,” Piastri said. “But it was a great weekend for the team.”
The whole drama started at the beginning.
Perez’s right rear wheel was run over by the left front tire of Magnussen behind him and hit the guardrail. Perez’s car nearly split in half, causing Hulkenberg’s Haas to spin as he drove behind him.
A red flag was raised and debris littered the track to allow a crane to remove Perez’s mangled Red Bull. The Mexican driver returned accompanied by two race officials. His team said he didn’t need a medical examination.
The two Alpines then tangled near the tunnel, with Esteban Ocon’s front-end causing teammate Pierre Gasly’s car to become airborne. Due to the fact that there were other cars right behind him and a tunnel was approaching, a earnest accident was avoided. Ocon will serve a penalty for moving up five places on the grid at the next race, the Canadian GP on June 9.
“Today’s incident was my fault,” Ocon said. “In the end, the difference was too miniature.”
The FIA’s governing body ordered the race to be restarted from a standing position, and Leclerc was in pole position ahead of Piastri and Sainz, who were running from third place despite suffering punctures moments after the start. He wanted to overtake Piastri and had to operate the departure zone at Casino Square.
French soccer star Kylian Mbappé and FIFA president Gianni Infantino were among the guests enjoying the radiant sunshine.
But the race turned out to be a processional affair.
After the restart, the cars rolled around the narrow 3.3 km (2 mi) street circuit, and Leclerc seemed determined to ensure the tires lasted until the end.
Piastri was on his tail and in the middle of the distance he was about 1 second behind, but Leclerc accelerated.
“To be sincere, Charles was mega all weekend,” Piastri said. “It would probably take me the best lap of my life (in qualifying). I’m ecstatic with P2.”
There wasn’t much action to keep fans entertained, some of whom spent thousands on VIP tickets.
Lance Stroll’s left tire fell off as he entered the pit lane on lap 50, but little else happened as Leclerc gradually increased his lead and ended his barren streak.
“You just can’t walk past the streets of Monaco,” Sainz said. “But I’m very ecstatic for Charles.”
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