Monaco F1 Grand Prix 2024 Results: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc Earns 1st Win of Season

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVMay 26, 2024

Kym Illman/Getty Images

Charles Leclerc gave his compatriots something to celebrate as the Monte Carlo native won the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

Scuderia Ferrari HP @ScuderiaFerrariCHARLES LECLERC. TAKE A BOW. 🔥

YOUR FIRST WIN OF 2024 AT HOME 🏆#MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/Ul1714gEde

This is his first victory since the 2022 season.

Leclerc crossed the finish line seven-plus seconds ahead of runner-up Oscar Piastri. Carlos Sainz earned the other podium place by holding off Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton wound up in sixth and seventh respectively, with both being largely anonymous on the day.

Leclerc set the stage for his fans to have a nerve-racking Sunday after claiming the pole. That has offered no assurances about his final position in the past. He set the pace ahead of the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix but was unable to compete due to a crash in qualifying. He started in first place the very next year but wound up in fourth.

Because overtaking at Monaco is so difficult, the qualifying results offer a pretty good picture of how the race will ultimately finish. Still, Leclerc had to avoid any critical errors and the kind of bad luck that has doomed him in the past in his home country.

It didn’t take long to see a reminder of how quickly a driver’s day can change.

On the very first lap, Kevin Magnussen made contact with Sergio Pérez and caused the Red Bull Racing driver to slam into the wall. The damage for Pérez was extensive and knocked him out of the race.

SportsCenter @SportsCenterPOV from both Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen’s cars during the crash at Monaco. pic.twitter.com/QKrbJ6Hpin

ESPN F1 @ESPNF1The state of Checo’s car after that crash 😳 pic.twitter.com/muYtuSqNTR

Magnussen was unable to continue as well, while teammate Nicolas Hülkenberg was collateral damage. There was a substantial delay as track officials cleared away all of the debris.

Considering he’s only two points away from a race ban, Magnussen was very fortunate the FIA declined to scrutinize the crash any further. His status for the Canadian Grand Prix on June 9 appeared to be in jeopardy when the wreck first happened.

BBC Sport @BBCSportThere will be no further investigation into the opening-lap collision at the #MonacoGP.

Is Kevin Magnussen fortunate to avoid penalty points for causing the crash which destroyed Sergio Perez’s Red Bull?#BBCF1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/hcjwRqSDwM

That wasn’t the only on-track incident during the first lap.

Esteban Ocon got a DNF after colliding with teammate Pierre Gasly, which resulted in a grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix. Sainz was forced into the pits due to a punctured tire, but the lengthy stoppage allowed his team to repair the damage. He was permitted to restart in third place too.

The rest of the Monaco Grand Prix went on without any major controversies.

Formula One will now head to Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Verstappen is the two-time defending champion in the Canadian Grand Prix, and you’d certainly expect him to rebound in a big way following a forgettable weekend in Monaco.