Monaco Grand Prix

Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen drives during the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 23, 2021. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Monaco Grand Prix: Verstappen wins to take the world championship lead

Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time in his career to move to the head of the driver’s world championship on Sunday.

Monaco Grand Prix

Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen drives during the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 23, 2021. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Max Verstappen put in a commanding drive to win the Monaco Grand Prix from the front row and claim the lead in the F1 World Championship.

LeClerc does not start race

Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc has been forced to withdraw from the race after Ferrari failed to repair his car in time.

LeClerc earned his first pole position at his home Grand Prix but a misjudgement on his final flying lap saw the young driver’s Ferrari slam into the unforgiving barriers.

His crash had denied a handful of top drivers their final laps as the qualifying session was red flagged.

Verstappen had a relatively straightforward start to the race with Leclerc out. The Red Bull began steadily pulling away from Valtteri Bottas.

There were no significant changes to position off the starting grid and the race settled into a holding pattern.

Mercedes tried to undercut the field with Lewis Hamilton the first of the top ten to pit, but he couldn’t get ahead of Pierre Gasly but it was much worse for Bottas.

The Finn came into the pits from second, but the pit crew just couldn’t get his front right tyre off and he was forced to retire.

When Verstappen came in he managed to get out in second with only his teammate Sergio Perez ahead of him. Perez made the most of the clear track and got ahead of Hamilton, Gasly and Sebastien Vettel, slotting into fourth.

After that series of stops the race reverted to a procession until Lance Stroll came in for his first stop after a long first stint, leaving both Aston Martin’s in the points for the first time this season.

With just 18 laps to go, Verstappen led from Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris with his teammate Perez chasing the McClaren from fourth. Hamilton remained adrift in seventh.

Hamilton came in with less than ten laps to go to put on a set of soft tyres in order to push for the fastest lap and an extra point. He duly did that, claiming the Monaco Grand Prix race lap record in the process.

Verstappen leads the world championship for the first time in his career as Hamilton finished seventh.

Monaco Grand Prix results

POSNODRIVERCARLAPSTIME/RETIRED
133Max VerstappenRED BULL RACING HONDA781:38:56.820
255Carlos SainzFERRARI78+8.968s
34Lando NorrisMCLAREN MERCEDES78+19.427s
411Sergio PerezRED BULL RACING HONDA78+20.490s
55Sebastian VettelASTON MARTIN MERCEDES78+52.591s
610Pierre GaslyALPHATAURI HONDA78+53.896s
744Lewis HamiltonMERCEDES78+68.231s
818Lance StrollASTON MARTIN MERCEDES77+1 lap
931Esteban OconALPINE RENAULT77+1 lap
1099Antonio GiovinazziALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI77+1 lap
117Kimi RäikkönenALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI77+1 lap
123Daniel RicciardoMCLAREN MERCEDES77+1 lap
1314Fernando AlonsoALPINE RENAULT77+1 lap
1463George RussellWILLIAMS MERCEDES77+1 lap
156Nicholas LatifiWILLIAMS MERCEDES77+1 lap
1622Yuki TsunodaALPHATAURI HONDA77+1 lap
179Nikita MazepinHAAS FERRARI75+3 laps
1847Mick SchumacherHAAS FERRARI75+3 laps
NC77Valtteri BottasMERCEDES29DNF
NC16Charles LeclercFERRARI0DNS
f1.com

* Provisional results