Patience and length of time… The Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) won the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday May 26, for the first time in his career in Formula 1. The Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) complete the podium. The Dutchman Max Verstappen, three-time reigning world champion, finished sixth but retains the lead in the championship ahead of Leclerc, who consolidates his second in the general classification.
Starting in pole position, Charles Leclerc tasted victory again after almost two years of abstinence. His last success in F1 dates back to the Austrian Grand Prix in July 2022. “Tonight is going to be a big night”, the Monegasque told his team on the radio. It thus puts an end to a form of curse: on pole during three of the last four starts in Monaco, the Scuderia driver had never finished on the podium of the race.
A race which was marked by a violent clash between several drivers, forcing the organizers to neutralize the race for almost 45 minutes. The Red Bull of Mexican Sergio Pérez, unbalanced after contact with the right rear wheel of Kevin Magnussen’s Haas, smashed against the safety rails, scattering debris from his car on the climb to Sainte-Dévote. Three of the Red Bull’s four wheels were torn off. The other Haas, driven by Nico Hülkenberg, was also involved in the accident. Unharmed, the three drivers were forced to retire.
Just like the Frenchman Esteban Ocon, author of a too risky overtake on his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, at the entrance to the tunnel. The cars of the two men, who started in 10th and 11th positions on the starting grid, collided, angering the team director. “Esteban’s attack was out of circumstance, it’s exactly what we didn’t want to see and we will draw the consequences. We’re going to decide straight away.”, reacted, visibly annoyed by the rivalry between his two pilots, Bruno Famin at the microphone of Canal+. Only Pierre Gasly was able to restart the race; Esteban Ocon was sanctioned by the International Automobile Federation with a demotion of five places on the grid for the next Grand Prix of the season, in Canada on Sunday June 9.