Race Notes - Verstappen wins in Monaco

By Mark Karp

Max Verstappen in his Red Bull-Honda won the Monaco Grand Prix, over Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari by 8.958 seconds in second place, and Lando Norris in the McLaren-Mercedes in third, 19.427s behind the winner.

The win is Verstappen’s first Monaco win, and second for the season, and his 13th career victory.

For the first time in his career, Versappen takes the lead in the World Championship with 105 points over Lewis Hamilton in second with 101 points, and Norris in third with 56 points.

Red Bull-Honda also overtook Mercedes GP for the Constructors Championship standing with 149 points over Mercedes with 148 points. McLaren-Mercedes is third with 80 points. It is the first time since the German Grand Prix in 2018 that Mercedes has lead neither the Drivers or Constructors Championship.

Sergio Perez (20.490s) in the second Red Bull finished fourth, followed by Sebastian Vettel (52.591s) in the Aston Martin-Mercedes was fifth, Pierre Gasly (53.896s) in the AlphaTauri-Honda was sixth, Hamilton (1m08.231s) in the Mercedes GP was seventh, Lance Stroll (1 lap) in the second Aston Martin was eighth, Estebon Ocon in the Alpine-Renault was ninth and Antonio Giovinazzi in the Alfa Romeo-Ferrari took the final point in tenth place.

Charles Leclerc took pole yesterday, and then crashed just before the session checquered flag.

Before the start it was announced by Ferrari that after repairing Leclerc’s car, but he wouldn’t start because there was still a driveshaft problem with the car.

On the front row Verstappen will start alone, Valtteri Bottas and Sainz will start on row 2, Norris and Gasly on row 3, Hamilton and Vettel on row 4 and Perez and Giovinazzi rounding out the top ten.

The top 11 starting on soft tyres, 12th through 18th on a mix of medium and hard tyres.

At the appointed time, with Leclerc not on the grid, the field came around and the lights went off and race started with Verstappen cutting across the track and taking the lead over Bottas and Sainz, Norris, Gasly, Hamilton, Vettel, Perez, Giovinazzi and Ocon in tenth place.

At the end of lap 1, Verstappen has a 1 second lead over Bottas.

On lap 4 Bottas sets fast lap at 1m17.154s and is 1.3 seconds behind Verstappen, staying in touch.

The next kap Verstappen goes quicker with a 1m16.892s.

On lap 6 Bottas does a 1m16.863s, 1.1 seconds behind the leader.

The next lap Verstappen goes quicker at 1m16.722s.

The following lap Norris goes fastest at 1m16.655s.

At lap 10 Verstappen leads Bottas by 1.3s, followed by Sainz (3.6s), Norris (6.8s), Gasly (9.6s), Hamilton (10.7s), Vettel (17.2s), Perez (19.7s), Giovinazzi (21.9s), Ocon (24.2s) in tenth, Stroll (26.8s), Raikkonen (31.3s), Daniel Ricciardo (34.3s), Fernando Alonso (36.6s) and George Russell (38.2s) in 15th place.

On lap 12 Perez sets fast lap at 1m15.949s, and again the next lap at 1m15.881s.

Nikita Mazepin is warned for exceeding track limits.

On lap 15 Verstappen takes fast lap at 1m15.818s, and has a 1.7s lead over Bottas, and again the next lap at 1m15.760s.

On lap 18 Perez sets fast lap at 1m15.638s.

Norris is given a warning for exceeding track limits.

At lap 20 Verstappen leads Bottas by 2.4s, followed by Sainz (4.6s), Norris (9.2s), Gasly (13.6s), Hamilton (15.3s), Vettel (19.2s), Perez (21.1s), Giovinazzi (30.1s), Ocon (33.0s) in tenth, Stroll (38.4s), Kimi Raikkonen (45.6s), Ricciardo (48.7s), Alonso (54.9s), Russell (1m01.4s), Nicholas Latifi (1m03.5s), Yuki Tsunoda (1m04.6s), Mick Schumacher (1m20.7s) in 18th place.

Sainz has closed to one-second behind Bottas in second place.

Mercedes tells Hamilton, “gaps are starting to appear.”

Bottas tellls the team “there is not much left in the tyre.”, and has fallen 5.0s behind Verstappen.

On lap 30 Hamilton is the first to pit and changes to hard tyres and rejoins in eighth place.

The next lap Bottas Norris and Gasly all pit.

Bottas' right front is not coming off the car and is cross-threaded, and they retire the car.

Vettel pits and rejoins ahead of Gasy and Hamilton.

Stroll touches the wall but continues.

On 32 Perez sets fast lap at 1m14.552s.

On lap 34 Giovinazzi pits.

The next lap Verstappen pits for hard tyres and rejoins behind Perez in the lead, yet to pit.

The next lap Perez pits from the lead for hard tyres and rejoins in fourth.

At lap 36 Verstappen leads Sainz by 6.4 seconds, followed by Norris (10.1s), Perez (18.1s), Vettel (20.1s), Gasly (23.3s), Hamilton (25.1s), Ocon (29.5s), Stroll (32.0s), Raikkonen (42.2s) in tenth.

On lap 37 Ocon pits and rejoins in tenth.

Stroll and Raikkonen in 8th and 9th still yet to pit.

Red Bull reports to Verstappen that the wear on his first set of tyres was excellent.

On lap 44 Raikkonen pits for hard tyres and rejoins on 12th. Latifi pits as well.

On lap 45 Alonso pits.

At lap 45 Verstappen leads Sainz by 3.5s, followed by Norris (10.5s), Perez (18.4s), Vettel (26.1s), Gasly (30.8s), Hamilton (33.4s), Stroll (36.8s), Ocon (51.7s), Giovinazzi (53.2s) in tenth, Raikkonen (1 lap), Ricciardo, Alonso, Tsunoda, Russell, Latifi, Mazepin and Schumacher in 18th place.

On lap 52, Norris in third laps his team mate Ricciardo in 12th, who has struggled all day.

At lap 55 Verstappen leads Sainz by 2.9 seconds, followed by Norris (14.4s), Perez (20.2s), Vettel (37.3s), Gasly (42.3s), Hamilton (43.2s), Stroll (46.1s), Ocon (1m07.5s), Giovinazzi (1m08.7s) in tenth, Raikkonen (1 lap), Ricciardo, Alonso, Tsunoda, Russell, Latifi, Mazepin and Schumacher.

Norris is complaining that his hard tyres are feeling terrible, saying they are “it’s shocking man”. Perez is 5.2 seconds behind him in fourth.

On lap 59 Stroll pits for soft tyres and remains in eighth place when he rejoins.

McLaren tells Norris that a lot of drivers are starting to make mistakes, and he needs to keep his focus.

On lap 60 Perez has cut Norris’ advantage to 3.4 seconds.

Giovinazzi is closing on Ocon for ninth place.

On lap 63 Perez is 2.1 seconds behind Norris in third.

Stroll is under investigation for crossing the yellow line on his last pit stop.

At lap 65 Verstappen leads Sainz by 7.6 seconds, followed by Norris (20.3s), Perez (20.9s), Vettel (45.1s), Gasly (49.2s), Hamilton (52.4s), Stroll (1 lap), Ocon and Giovinazzi in tenth.

Tsunoda is the final car to pit for soft tyres, and rejoins 16th.

On lap 68 Tsunoda sets fast lap at 1m14.037s, but runs outside the top 10.

On lap 68 Hamilton pits for soft tyres and rejoins still in seventh place.

On lap 70 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m12.909s.

On lap 73 Norris leads Perez by 1.2 seconds.

At lap 75 Verstappen leads Sainz by 9.5 seconds, followed by Norris (22.1s), Perez (24.0s), Vettel (51.7s), Gasly (54.5s), Hamilton (1m06.7s), Stroll (1 lap), Ocon, and Giovinazzi in tenth

At the checkuered flag, being waved by tennis great Serena Williams, Verstappen cruises to the win over Sainz and Norris.