Charles LeClerc is a Monaco Grand Prix winner.

The hometown son finally took his first victory in the illusive race having fallen short in every prior attempt, adding himself to the ever growing list of race winners who have taken victory in the streets of Monaco. Leading from lights out to checkered flag, LeClerc managed his pace amidst growing pressure from the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, who in his own right was in a league of his own along with LeClerc as Carlos Sainz could only stay third on the day, completing a Ferrari 1-3 on the weekend.

Race Highlights: 2024 Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco proved to be a challenge once again for drivers as an unusual red flag period on lap 1 forced many drivers onto their 2nd compound in hopes they could take the tire to the end of the race. As LeClerc led the field through Sainte Devote and up the hill through Beau Rivage and Massenet, chaos began to unfold behind him as teammate Sainz and Piastri squabbled for position, with the Ferrari losing out as Sainz suffered a puncture after sliding into the McLaren’s right side floor vanes. Sainz, unable to turn his Ferrari, dove for a service road in hopes that he could avoid the field and rejoin at the tail end and pit for new tires.

2024 Monaco Grand Prix: Three-car crash on the race start triggers immediate red flag in Monaco

However, before he could right his Ferrari, red flags flew as the Haas pair tangled with the Red Bull of Sergio Perez on the run to Beau Rivage. Perez, splitting the Haas drivers, was tagged by Kevin Magnussen as Magnussen clipped the outside wall, turning the Dane into the Red Bull. The contact spun Perez into the wall, shredding his Red Bull machine as the rear of his stricken car collected the rear of Nico Hulkenberg, sending all three drivers days early. Unscathed, all drivers were able to walk away as what was left of Perez’s Red Bull needed to be cleaned off the track surface.

With the field in the pit lane, race officials handed Ferrari and Carlos Sainz a golden egg in the form of resetting the field to it’s last known position at the pit lane exit timing line as the entire field has yet to complete sector one when the red flags flew. This promoted Sainz back to 3rd on the grid, ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell and gave Ferrari a second attempt as a “rear gunner” for the second standing start of the day.

Fresh rubber bolted on to each car, some teams opted to swap for the 2nd compound required while some stayed on the same compound in hopes that a second caution or safety car would allow them to steal a pit stop and gain an advantage on course. This however, proved for naught as LeClerc, Piastri, Sainz, Norris, and Russell all made the hard compound tires work and pushed to the end of the 78 lap race on essentially a single set of tires.

His victory at home in Monaco marks LeClerc’s sixth win in Formula 1 and his first since Austria 2022, putting both Ferrari’s in the win column for the year alongside Verstappen and first-time winner Lando Norris. He now sits only 31 points shy of Verstappen in the driver’s championship as Verstappen and Red Bull struggled with pace and could only mange a 6th place finish for the defending World Champion. Ferrari’s 1-3 finish has them 24 points back from Red Bull in the Constructors race as teams prepare for their second trip to North America in 2024.

Free Practice One Report: CLICK HERE

Free Practice Two Report: CLICK HERE

Free Practice Three Report: CLICK HERE

Qualifying Report: CLICK HERE

Team regroup in Montreal, Canada in two-weeks time for the fan-favorite FORMULA 1 AWS GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2024 at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Check out the weekend schedule below and tune in for all the excitement on June 7th.