It’s been jokingly referred to as a curse, but for Charles Leclerc in Monaco, the third time’s the charm. After two previous failed attempts from pole position, the Monegasque Ferrari driver finally managed to capitalize on his pole position on Sunday. After 78 laps, he was flagged as the deserved winner of the Monaco Grand Prix in his hometown. Behind Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz claimed second and third place. Max Verstappen, who started from P6 after a difficult qualification, finished sixth.
The 2024 edition will not go down in history as a traditionally thrilling race. The drama started right from the beginning. Charles Leclerc got off to a good start from pole, but chaos ensued behind him. Oscar Piastri lightly touched Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, causing the latter to suffer a puncture and lose control. He was forced to park his car coming out of the Casino.
This meant that Max Verstappen immediately moved up a spot from P6, but things went completely wrong in the backfield a fraction later. When Kevin Magnussen squeezed his Haas car next to Sergio Pérez’s Red Bull where there was no room, the Mexican was catapulted. A hard crash resulted, also eliminating Magnussen himself and his Haas teammate Nico Hülkenberg. A red flag was the result. To the surprise of many, the stewards deemed it merely a racing incident, sparing the Dane new penalty points (and thus a suspension).
Watch the hard crash of Pérez, Magnussen, and Hülkenberg here.
On-Track Conflict Between Alpine Drivers
At the time of the red flag, Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon had already clashed at the entrance of the tunnel. The race ended prematurely for Ocon. Alpine boss Bruno Famin was furious with Ocon, blaming him for the incident.
Perfect Scenario for Leclerc
It took some time to clear the debris on the track and repair the guardrails. When the race resumed after nearly forty-five minutes (UST), Sainz’s Ferrari had been repaired. The Spaniard resumed his initial starting position (P3), and Verstappen had to start over from P6.
The restart went smoothly. Leclerc got off to a good start and managed to create a small gap towards Piastri, who struggled to keep up due to light floor damage to his car. This turned out to be an ideal scenario for Leclerc. Piasti, Sainz, and Lando Norris stayed in his wake, but a significant gap quickly formed behind them with George Russell and Max Verstappen. Verstappen was stuck behind Russell’s Mercedes and complained over the radio that the race was monotonous. “I should have brought a pillow,” he said, somewhat sarcastically.
After the chaotic start, the race indeed turned into a procession, as is often the case in the Principality. Lance Stroll hit the guardrail with the left rear of his car but managed to drive to the pit lane with a flat tire for fresh rubber.
George Russell continued to race until the finish on medium tires, while Max Verstappen, who did make a pit stop, was breathing down his neck. Overtaking is nearly impossible on the Monaco circuit, as the Dutchman also knows. Therefore, he could do no better than sixth place behind the Mercedes driver.
At the front of the field, Leclerc crossed the finish line first, finally achieving his goal. The grandstands erupted in applause for the local hero. Behind him, it was a nail-biting race to the last lap to see who would join the Monegasque on the podium. Piastri, Sainz, and Norris drove in a train to the checkered flag, finishing in that order.
