Charles Leclerc finally broke his Monaco Grand Prix curse by clinching his first victory at his home race after starting from pole position.
Leclerc crossed the finish line 7.1 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. He managed to fend off Piastri at two restarts following an early red flag and maintained a strong enough pace to prevent McLaren from gaining a strategy advantage. Despite facing pressure from Piastri during the 76 laps that followed the initial halt, Leclerc held his ground and tactically controlled the pace to prevent McLaren from creating a pitstop opportunity.
Leclerc expressed his emotions after the race, saying, ‘No words can explain that. It’s such a difficult race. I think the fact that twice I’ve been starting on pole and I couldn’t make it makes it a lot better. It was a difficult race emotionally because already 15 laps from the end you’re hoping nothing happens. I was thinking a lot more to my dad than a lot more when I was driving.’
The race began with a first-lap collision when Kevin Magnussen tried to squeeze his Haas past Sergio Perez at Beau Rivage, causing a crash that resulted in a hefty delay. Perez’s car was significantly damaged, and Nico Hulkenberg was also taken out in the incident. Carlos Sainz, attempting to overtake Piastri for second place, suffered a puncture and fell to the back of the pack shortly after the race resumed.
Sainz was allowed to return to his third-place position at the restart, which influenced race strategies as teams swapped tires to ensure they could run to the end. The battle for strategic advantage saw Leclerc and his Ferrari teammate Sainz slowing the pace to limit Norris’s chances of gaining a free pitstop.
As the race neared its conclusion, Leclerc increased his pace, distancing himself from Piastri and securing his victory. The final laps saw Piastri defending against Sainz, with Norris close behind but unable to capitalize. George Russell finished fifth after blocking Max Verstappen for over 25 laps, despite Verstappen having fresher tires. Lewis Hamilton, benefitting from a free pitstop, held onto seventh place, with Verstappen unable to overtake him even with newer tires.
Yuki Tsunoda finished eighth after holding off Alex Albon for the majority of the race, earning Williams its first points of the season and their first scoring finish at Monaco since 2017. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten despite an early altercation with his Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon, who retired after the incident.
Leclerc’s masterful drive at the Monaco Grand Prix ended his long-awaited quest for a home victory. Despite several incidents and strategic challenges, he held firm to take the win, marking a memorable moment in his career.
Source: Motorsport ˙ Youtube
