Sergio Pérez lucky to walk away from horrifying crash on the opening lap
Race winner Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari and third-placed Carlos Sainz celebrate on the podium during the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesCharles Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver taking his first victory at his home race and becoming the first Monégasque to win here since the Formula One world championship began in 1950.
The home crowd clearly were not bothered at how the win came as they celebrated and Leclerc was unsurprisingly absolutely joyous with his first win at his home race coming at the sixth attempt having never managed to make it to the podium previously. It has become known as the 26-year-old’s Monaco curse, a series of races where even his best chances seemed fated to fail.
Pérez had started in 16th but going up Beau Rivage was clipped from behind by the Haas of Kevin Magnussen and as he slewed sideways, he was catapulted into the one wall then the other, leaving all but the reinforced cockpit of his car smashed to pieces strewn across the track with only one wheel left attached to what was left of his ride. Both the Haas cars were collected in the crash and all the drivers emerged unhurt but it led to a lengthy red flag period.
From a standing restart Leclerc held his lead once more and this time the field made it round the opening lap without incident. Having used the red-flag stoppage to change their tyres to the hard compound, the leading teams were set for a race without a required pit stop with 75 laps to go. On lap 39 Ferrari told Leclerc to slow down even more, as unedifying a radio message as F1 has witnessed and a damning indictment of the anachronistic nature of the circuit, already criticised this weekend as being entirely unfit for purpose with modern F1 cars.
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