Kimi Antonelli also triumphs in Monte Carlo after Charles Leclerc's crash
Kimi Antonelli continues to rewrite records and consolidates his World Championship leadership by taking his fifth consecutive victory in the Monaco Grand Prix. The Italian Mercedes talent, Saturday’s surprising poleman, dominated all 78 laps of the sixth round of the rainbow round, imposing his pace from start to finish.
The race came alive only in the closing stages, complicated by two Safety Car interventions and a red flag shown on lap 78 due to the deterioration of the road surface in the last corner before the pit straight. After the interruption, the race restarted for the last nine laps on the original schedule, with two laps behind the Safety Car and a new standing start. Antonelli reacted immediately, took the margin over Lewis Hamilton and definitely secured the win.
For the Mercedes driver, this is the third Italian victory in the history of the Monaco GP, after those of Riccardo Patrese in 1982 with Brabham and Jarno Trulli in 2004 with Renault. Curiously, 22 years passed between the success of the Paduan and that of the Abruzzese, the same interval that separates Trulli’s triumph from that of Antonelli.
Last behind the Italian are Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar, author of the first Monaco podium of the season for Red Bull. The Franco-Algerian, however, remains under investigation for an alleged infraction committed during the red flag period.
Big disappointment instead for Charles Leclerc, who was forced to retire with twelve laps to go. The Monegasque ended up against the barriers at Turn 19, named after Anthony Noghès, during the restart following the Safety Car caused by Lance Stroll’s accident a few laps earlier at the same spot. Leclerc attributed the run off the track to a problem with his SF-26’s brakes, even though shortly before he had transited off-track on the already damaged stretch of asphalt.
A day to forget for George Russell as well. The Briton finished only 14th after a penalty for speeding in the pit lane, aggravated by a drive through imposed in the latter stages of the race for failing to properly serve the initial penalty. Emblematically, he was lapped by teammate Antonelli as early as lap 55.
Out of the running from the start, however, was Max Verstappen. Lined up next to Antonelli on the front row, the Dutchman moved a few meters when the lights went out before stopping with a power unit problem. Averted by other competitors, he managed to restart but pitted at the end of the first lap, ending his own race.
Similar fate for Lando Norris. The reigning world champion, winner at Monte Carlo twelve months earlier, is forced to retire on lap 45 due to a mechanical failure that puts an early end to a race that had been devoid of highlights up to that point.
