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Charles Leclerc wins the Monaco Grand Prix 2024

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Jamie Cooper

In the unforgiving streets of Monaco, the question whether Charles Leclerc could win the Monaco GP lingered, as he got pole position in yesterday’s qualifying session.

The grid was cleared in time for the formation lap, and Charles Leclerc pulled away from pole. Oscar Piastri right behind him, the Australian appearing calm.

Leclerc lined up in the famous P1 slot, with the grid curving behind him and the last few cars not visible. The drivers were starting to slow into their slots, with the Haas cars at the back.

Photo Credit: Scuderia Ferrari HP

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Go time!

Leclerc made a good start and was off. Carlos Sainz also had a good start and went side by side with Piastri, but the McLaren driver just managed to get through. Disaster struck a couple of laps later when Sainz went straight on at Casino.

Red flag after a multi-car crash

There had been some contact further back, leading to the red flags.

Sergio Pérez had a big crash involving both Haas cars. Thankfully, Pérez was seen walking away from the wreckage, though the RB20 looked badly damaged — a moment that overshadowed Sainz’s incident.

The cars made their way into the pit lane.

Sainz managed to get going again and limped back to the pits in P16. Everyone returned to the pit lane and exited their cars.

The Alpines Also Crash

Replays from the opening lap showed that Esteban Ocon tried to attack Pierre Gasly into Portier. There wasn’t enough room, and the two made contact, sending Ocon airborne.

Gasly yelled, “What did he do?” over the radio. Both Alpine cars appeared to have sustained damage from the incident.

Clearly, Ocon forgot about the first rule in F1: don’t hit your teammate.

The Haas drivers technically adhered to this rule, although Nico Hülkenberg was seen walking down the pit lane with a furious expression, suggesting he wasn’t pleased with Kevin Magnussen.

But for the Alpine drivers, there was no ambiguity. They definitely made contact and likely had differing opinions on who was at fault.

Despite the series of incidents involving Pérez, the Haas drivers, and others, everyone was thankfully okay. It’s a testament to how far F1’s safety measurements have gone that Pérez could walk away from his crash.

Sainz can start from P3

Sainz, meanwhile, benefited significantly from the chaos. He was returned to third place, as the stewards decided to reset the order from just before the crash, which occurred almost simultaneously, with Sainz losing several positions.

The top ten drivers were back in their grid slots.

The Alpine cars must have been carrying damage after their collision, likely affecting their downforce. While some repairs are allowed under a red flag, fixing damage to the floor is limited.

Piastri and Sainz might also have sustained damage from their Turn 1 incident, though the stewards deemed it a racing incident.

The drivers at the front, including Leclerc, Piastri, and Norris, were initially unaware of the severity of Pérez’s crash. Their initial reaction upon hearing about the red flag was to ask if everyone was okay.

Hamilton’s radio message was intriguing: “I told you guys.”

This likely referred to his strategy of starting on hard tyres, now facing the challenge of possibly finishing the race on mediums.

Just before the race restarted, Esteban Ocon was seen wandering around in his civilian clothing. It was then announced that he would not continue with the race, due to the damage sustained to his car.

The Monaco GP is back underway

In a thrilling restart, Leclerc made another strong start, while Piastri got an even better one, clearing Sainz, who had Norris at his tail. This time, everyone made it through the first few corners without incident.

The race was missing key players: no Haas cars, no second Red Bull, and no Ocon, who had made the podium last year.

With Fernando Alonso also down the order, there were points up for grabs for the midfield. Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, and Gasly were currently in the points, though Gasly was the only one on medium tires.

Alonso overtook Ricciardo at the restart, climbing to 12th, just behind his teammate. Both were now stuck in a DRS train.

Piastri held on to second place, just under a second behind Leclerc, and on hard tyres. He had broken the DRS to Sainz behind but was reportedly carrying damage, according to his team.

The stewards ruled that Ocon was at fault for his first-lap collision with his teammate, handing him a time penalty. However, with Ocon already out of the race, it remained to be seen if there would be any repercussions for the next race in Canada.

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Russell struggles with tyre management

By lap 12, Russell was managing his pace and had dropped back significantly. Max Verstappen was informed that Russell was creating a pit stop gap for those in front. Mercedes advised Russell that they “gain nothing” from driving faster, as he was on mediums and trying to make them last to the end.

The top four had pulled away, creating a gap to George Russell, who had Max Verstappen in tow. Another gap followed to Lewis Hamilton, who had a train of cars behind him. Mercedes appeared concerned about their tyre wear.

Leclerc had Piastri right on his rear wing, unable to break away. Sainz and Norris were trying to avoid the dirty air.

Gasly was doing a good job of keeping Lance Stroll at bay; both were on medium tyres, not ideal for such a long stint.

Verstappen hadn’t made much of an impact. Pre-race, he had stated that his goal was to collect as many points as possible and quickly move on, with Canada expected to suit the RB20 better.

Sixth seemed to be the best he could achieve today, focusing on damage limitation.

Leclerc, still in the lead

Leclerc continued to lead by 1.3 seconds, with Sainz nearly 1.5 seconds behind Piastri and Norris 1.7 seconds adrift. The front-runners seemed to be protecting their tires or possibly building a gap to defend against undercuts.

Bottas was the only driver to make a live pit stop and, benefiting from free air, had caught up with the pack in P16. However, he was now stuck behind his teammate, likely to remain there until the finish.

Norris, in fourth, had a chance to build a large enough gap to Russell to secure a free pit stop, leaving him with nothing to lose. Tyre graining was becoming a concern for Mercedes and Aston Martin.

Russell’s instruction to back off and conserve his tires seemed pivotal, potentially influencing the podium outcome.

Sainz expressed concerns about strategy to Ferrari: “Is there a risk that if we open 20 seconds, Lando goes for a soft maybe? Lando on the soft will be dangerous, as tyres are starting to grain.”

Leclerc was making good progress. It must have stung that Sainz secured the only non-Red Bull win last year and again in Australia, but now the spotlight was on the Monégasque driver, thanks to his stellar qualifying lap.

Ocon’s opening lap collision, subsequent retirement, and reprimand from his boss led to the stewards converting his time penalty into a five-place grid drop for Canada.

In lap 40, Leclerc was instructed to slow down but pushed back, noting that cooling the tyres made them slide and risky. Norris, crucially, was only 17 seconds ahead of Russell. “They must be worried about something,” observed Piastri.

Puncture for Stroll

Drama struck as Stroll suffered a puncture, limping back to the pits while the tyre carcass rolled away. Forced into a second stop, he switched to softs. Fortunately, the carcass rolled into the pits and was easily cleared.

Stroll’s incident dropped him from P11 to P16, undoing all of Alonso’s hard work. However, this provided Ferrari with valuable information on the soft tyres’ durability. Stroll clipped the barriers coming out of the tunnel into the chicane, leading to his puncture.

Stroll gains ground

Replays showed Stroll executing a daring overtake on Zhou through the tunnel, showcasing the advantage of his soft tyres. Stroll then overtook Sargeant, with the extra grip from the soft tyres proving effective for the Canadian driver.

No window left for Norris

Meanwhile, Norris lost his window as Russell sped up to fend off a charging Verstappen. There was speculation about whether McLaren might pit Piastri, potentially putting him behind Norris, who could then let him through to chase down the Ferraris with fresh tyres. However, this bold move needed to happen soon, as time was running out.

As the laps ticked down, McLaren’s opportunity to make a daring move was closing. Verstappen closed in within a second of Russell, raising the question of how long Russell could defend his position.

Mercedes indicated that Russell’s earlier slow pace saved a significant amount of rubber on his tyres, allowing him to defend effectively. This situation had played out many times at Monaco, where track position usually prevails. However, not everyone had Max Verstappen on their tail.

As the action unfolded further back, Leclerc maintained a 1.5-second lead over Piastri. McLaren seemed to have missed their chance to shake things up.

Tsunoda, running in eighth, was given the go-ahead to push with Albon on his tail. “That’s what I like to hear,” he responded enthusiastically.

Sargeant, in P16, reported hitting the wall, but it seemed to be a minor impact as there were no yellow flags, and he continued. Further ahead, Russell was told to cool his brakes, with track temperatures still in the forties.

Piastri and Sainz had already tangled once, and Norris was now within DRS range of the Ferrari. This fight for second and third positions promised a thrilling battle for the podium. With three drivers vying for two spots, someone was bound to be disappointed.

Tsunoda responded to the hurry-up call, dropping Albon in the fight for eighth. Gasly maintained a cushion over Alonso in 11th, ensuring good points for some midfield teams.

Was the podium set?

Leclerc had an 8.8-second lead on home soil while his rivals squabbled and held each other up. This must have been a great feeling for Leclerc. The question remained whether his teammate and adopted son, Piastri, would join him on the podium and in what order.

Charles Leclerc wins the Monaco GP!

Leclerc led by over eight seconds, seemingly securing the win. Sainz could not find an opportunity to pressure Piastri further, who was on course for his best result of the year.

Charles Leclerc wins the Monaco GP, ending a streak of heartbreak with a triumphant response.

Photo Credit: Scuderia Ferrai HP

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