Race Notes - Leclerc wins home race

By Mark Karp

Monaco native Charles Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix in his Ferrari, beating Oscar Piastri in the McLaren-Mercedes in second place, 7.152 seconds behind.

Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari was third, 7.585 seconds behind the winner.

The win is Leclerc’s first win in two years at the Austrian GP in 2022, and his sixth career victory. Leclerc is the fourth winner of the 2024 season.

It is the first Monaco win for a native since Louis Chiron in 1931. It is Piastri’s third career podium.

Leclerc is now second in the Drivers Championship, 31 points behind Verstappen, Norris is third in the Championship.

Leclerc said the emotions were coming on to him with two laps to go, and that he started having difficulty to see.

Lando Norris (8.650s) in the second McLaren was fourth, followed by George Russell (13.309s) in the Mercedes GP in fifth, Max Verstappen (13.853s) in the Red Bull-Honda was sixth, Lewis Hamilton (14.908s) in the second Mercedes was seventh, Yuki Tsunoda (1 lap) in the RB-Honda was eighth, Alex Albon in the Williams-Mercedes was ninth, and Pierre Gasly in the Alpine-Renault took the final point in tenth place. Alonso was 11th, followed by Ricciardo, Bottas, Stroll, Sargeant and Zhou was the final finisher in 16th place.

On a sunny day the weather looks good for the Monaco GP. Before the start Leclerc and Piastri sit on the first row, Sainz and Norris on row 2, Russell and Verstappen on row 3, Hamilton and Tsunoda on row 4, and Albon and Gasly rounding out the top ten. Perez starting from 16th. The two Haas cars starting from the back row of the grid following their penalties.

Most drivers will try to start on medium tyres and switch to hard tyres, or the opposite, start on hard and switch to medium tyres.

Half the field are on medium tyres, Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Ocon, Stroll, Alonso, Sargeant, Perez, Bottas and Magnussen start on hard tyres.

At the appointed time the field took to the classic layout in the streets of Monaco on the formation lap, lined up on grid, the lights went out and the race began with Leclerc gets the lead, Sainz goes off in Casino Square with an apparent punctured tyre. Perez crashes along with Hulkenberg and Magnussen. There is a lot of debris on the circuit.

Later in the lap, approaching the tunnel Ocon dives down the inside of his teammate Gasly and the two make contact.

The red flag is out for the cars blocking the track up the hill. The cars come back to the pits and the drivers stop.

Leclerc is first followed by Piasrtri, Norris, Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Albon, Gasly, Stroll in tenth, Ricciardo, Alonso, Sargeant, Bottas, Ocon, Sainz, and Zhou in 17th.

All drivers can switch to new tyres.

There will be a lengthy delay to fix the wall where Perez crashed.

Based on when the Red Flag was thrown, as not all the cars had passed the point of the end of the first sector, the original grid is restored for the restart.

McLaren is working on the floor and sidepod on Piastri’s car as he damaged it with contact in the first start.

It is announced that the race will restart at 44 minutes after the hour.

Ocon will not restart, with damage to his car.

The top four drivers on hard tyres, Russell, Verstappen and Hamilton on medium tyres.

The drivers all prepare for another start, and at quarter of the hour, the field comes around to the grid. The lights go out and the race restarts with Leclerc again in the lead with Piastri, Sainz, Norris, Russell, Vertappen, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Albon and Gasly in tenth.

On lap 5 Leclerc sets fastest lap at 1m21.795s, and again the next lap at 1m21.145s.

On lap 7 Piastri is fastest at 1m20.808s.

Sainz is trying to push to pass Piastri in second, Leclerc leads by 0.8s.

Piastri sets fast lap at 1m19.906s.

At 10 laps Leclerc leads Piastri by 0.8 seconds, followed by Sainz (2.0s), Norris (3.4s), Russell (9.3s), Verstappen (11.1s), Hamilton (13.3s), Tsunoda (14.4s), Albon (15.2s), and Gasly (16,2s).

All drivers seem to be pacing themselves to make their tyres last.

On lap 13 Piastri sets fast lap at 1m18.745s.

On lap 16 Bottas pits switching to hard tyres and rejoins in 16th, at the back of the field.

On lap 17 Bottas sets fast lap at 1m16.561s.

Sainz has closed up on Piastri once again.

At lap 20 Leclerc leads Piastri by 1.0 seconds, followed by Sainz (2.6s), Norris (3.8s), Russell (15.1s), Verstappen (17.6s), Hamilton (21.5s), Tsunoda (26.3s), Albon (28.2s), and Gasly (29.5s) in tenth.

At lap 30 Leclerc leads Piastri by 0.9 seconds, followed by Sainz (1.3s), Norris (3.4s), Russell (17.0s), Verstappen (19.5s), Hamilton (23.2s), Tsunoda (39.9s), Albon (42.3s), and Gasly (47.0s) in tenth.

Alonso in 12th is backing up the drivers behind him, to give a gap for his teammate Stroll in 11th, so that he can make a pitstop without losing a position.

Hamilton is closing uo on Verstappen ahead of him, perhaps looking to make a pitstop.

Ferrari radio to Leclerc telling him to slow down those behind him to prevent McLaren from having a pitstop window.

At lap 40 Leclerc leads Piastri by 1.5 seconds, followed by Sainz (2.9s), Norris (3.8s), Russell (20.7s), Verstappen (23.3s), Hamilton (26.6s), Tsunoda (52.1s), Albon (56.5s), and Gasly (1m01.4s) in tenth place.

The leaders are starting to lap the back of the field.

On lap 44 Stroll pits from 11th for new hard tyres and rejoins still in 11th, 20 second behind Gasly in tenth.

On lap 50 Stroll has a puncture and pits for soft tyres and rejoins 16th.

At lap 50 Leclerc leads Piastri by 1.6 seconds, followed by Sainz (3.1s), Norris (4.2s), Russell (20.5s), Verstappen (22.4s), Hamilton (24.1s), Tsunoda (s), Albon (s), and Gasly (s) in tenth.

On lap 52 Hamilton pits for a set of hard tyres and rejoins still in seventh, 21 seconds behind Verstappen.

Verstappen pits the next lap for hard tyres and rejoins still in the sixth position.

Bottas passes Sargeant for 13th place.

On lap 54 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m15.815s, and again the next lap at 1m15.398s.

On lap 56 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m14.423s.

Stroll passes Zhou for 15th, then passes Sargeant for 14th place.

Sergeant pits for medium tyres and rejoins in 16th.

On lap 59 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m14.204s.

At lap 60 Leclerc leads Piastri by 1.8 seconds, followed by Sainz (6.3s), Norris (7.1s), Russell (23.6s), Verstappen (24.9s), Hamilton (31.5s), Tsunoda (1 lap), Albon and Gasly in tenth place.

Verstappen has caught Russell in fifth.

On lap 63 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m14.165s.

At lap 70, Leclerc leads Piastri by 5.0 seconds, followed by Sainz (5.9s), Norris (7.3s), Russell (19.7s), Verstappen (20.6s), Hamilton (22.6s), Tsunoda (1 lap), Albon, Gasly in tenth, Alonso, Ricciardo, Bottas, Stroll, Zhou and Sargeant in 16th.

On lap 74 Sargeant passes Zhou for 15th.

At the flag Leclerc wins over Piastri and Sainz.