Charles Leclerc makes history with first Monaco Grand Prix win

26th May 2024

Sir Lewis Hamilton finishes 7th but claims fastest lap

Charles Leclerc claimed his first victory at the Monaco Grand Prix today, reports Damian Hall.

This historic win makes him the first Monegasque to ever stand on the top step of the podium at the prestigious event.

“It’s the race that made me dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver one day. I was thinking of my dad,” an emotional Leclerc said in a post-race interview.

Leclerc’s father, who passed away in June of 2017, never got to see him make it to F1, adding a poignant layer to his victory.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished second, 8 seconds behind Leclerc. His Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz finished 3rd followed by Mclaren’s Lando Norris in 4th.

Sir Lewis Hamilton recorded the fastest lap of the race despite finishing 7th, while his teammate George Russell secured 5th, just ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in 6th.

Both Ferrari drivers had a great start which saw Sainz, staying true to his statement after qualifying which hinted that he would be protecting his team mate when he said “The priority is to win with Charles tomorrow”.

He pulled his Ferrari alongside Piastri to hamper any attack on Leclerc, but this move resulted in slight contact and a puncture for Sainz, causing him to run off and lose positions. However, due to mayhem unfolding further back in the pack simultaneously, a restart was triggered, and the stewards restored the original order, allowing Sainz to regain his third position.

Hamilton also had a strong start, putting himself alongside Red Bull rival Max Verstappen. However, he wisely backed out to avoid any potential incident.

The race saw dramatic incidents, including a huge collision involving Haas’s Kevin Magnussen, teammate Nico Hulkenberg, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, which brought out the red flag to halt the race in order to remove the stricken cars.

Further along the opening lap, the two Alpines collided, resulting in Esteban Ocon’s retirement.

Following the restart, only 16 of the 20 cars lined up on the grid. Both Ferraris and McLarens, making up the top four, started on the hard tyre compound, potentially allowing them to go the distance without another stop. Formula 1 regulations require teams to make at least one stop to change tyres to a different compound.

The first-lap collision created a strategic dilemma as teams on harder compounds were forced to switch to the alternate compound, making it a challenge to either conserve their tyres or make another stop.

On lap 19, Piastri began pressuring Leclerc, appearing large in his mirrors with threats of a lunge. Sainz, right behind Piastri, made his presence known, signaling that Leclerc was not alone in the fight.

The chaotic start threw all team strategies out the window. Despite the lack of on-track overtakes, fans witnessed history being made at the 70th Monaco Grand Prix.

F1 heads to Montreal next for the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve.

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