Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc captured the spotlight with an emotional win on his home turf in Monaco, but there were plenty of other stories unfolding behind the scenes.
Sergio Perez’s Lap 1 crash turned out to be a costly affair for Red Bull. The Mexican driver collided with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen on the way up to Massenet, hitting the barriers and causing significant damage to his car. The repair bill? A whopping three million euros, according to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. ‘Firstly, it was dangerous, and secondly, the damage is two or three million,’ Marko said. ‘It’s another accident where Magnussen was involved, and thank God it ended well.’
Pierre Gasly had a rough but ultimately rewarding weekend. The Alpine driver managed to clinch 10th place despite a controversial on-track clash with teammate Esteban Ocon. Gasly’s high-risk strategy in qualifying paid off, allowing him to make it into Q3. ‘I took a lot of risk, I probably left a tyre mark on every single barrier,’ Gasly admitted. He also credited reserve driver Jack Doohan for helping with the setup, describing Doohan’s efforts as ‘very useful.’
Logan Sargeant faced challenges of his own, running with an outdated rear wing on his Williams car. The newer spec wing went to his teammate Alex Albon due to a shortage of parts. Sargeant still managed to deliver a strong performance, though he acknowledged the disadvantage. ‘I drove well all weekend, just trying to motivate the guys on my side of the garage,’ he said. ‘For the package we had, we put the setup in the right place.’
Oscar Piastri also experienced some drama, sustaining damage to his McLaren after colliding with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at the first turn. The Australian’s car lost about 20 downforce points, which translates to half a second per lap in Monaco. Fortunately, the red flag allowed McLaren to make some repairs, and Piastri finished in a respectable second place, following Leclerc to the podium.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur celebrated Leclerc’s victory in style, joining him for a jump into the Monte Carlo harbour. Leclerc, who had previously been unable to convert two pole positions into a home win, finally triumphed under Vasseur’s guidance. ‘I’ve already said to Fred to get ready because he will definitely jump with me in the harbour,’ Leclerc revealed.
While Leclerc’s victory was the headline, the Monaco Grand Prix had its fair share of ups, downs, and unexpected moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Source: Motorsport
