Charles Leclerc makes history as the first home winner of Monaco Grand Prix in 93 Years

“It’s the race that made me dream of becoming an F1 driver one day. It’s the race that I used to watch with my dad, our dream was to race here in Monaco in F1” reflected Leclerc. Charles Leclerc is the first home winner of the Monaco Grand Prix in 93 years! The Monegasque native fought back tears in the last few laps as he was ‘struggling to see’.

It was a classic moment for sport and a classic moment for Formula One to have a Ferrari conquering Monaco. But behind car number 16 there was no real excitement as the Top 10 cars of qualifying finished in exactly that same order without a single overtake.

The big 2024-spec cars coupled with the tight and twisty nature of the Principality’s circuit guaranteed a procession with little or no thrills at all. But Monaco has seen some classic and chaotic races in the past.

Olivier Panis’ epic win for Ligier Mugen Honda in the 1996-attrition-fest that saw just 3 cars finish is probably the reason why F1 visits the venue repeatedly! Almost as big as Leclerc’s sixth Grand Prix win, was champions Red Bull’s woeful weekend. It was strange to see Max Verstappen stuck in P6 all race, offering no real threat to George Russell’s Mercedes ahead. Sergio Perez cancelled himself and both the HAAS cars before the completion of a single lap!

All talk about Red Bull’s Achilles heel, the inability of the RB20’s rear suspension to cope with kerbs, may either disappear or appear more prominently at the Canadian Grand Prix weekend up next. After all, Verstappen sealed pole and the race victory in 2023. And has a 31-point lead over Leclerc as we head to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. But can Leclerc lead Ferrari to back-to-back wins at a venue named after Enzo Ferrari’s favourite driver?

 This season began with Red Bull calling the shots and it looked like they were on course to make it four-in-a-row. But Ferrari and McLaren, the traditional biggies of Grand Prix, have caught up. And we genuinely have a fight on our hands!

Expect an exciting race this Sunday as all three rivals have proven their pace. But first they all have to stay clear of the wall-of-champions in the final corner, as the classic phrase goes — to finish first, you must first finish!

Round 9 | Montreal | Sunday, 9th June 23:30 | LIVE on F1TV & FanCode App