Max Verstappen wins Monaco Grand Prix to increase World Championship lead after rain causes chaos and prices Fernando Alonso
- Verstappen was underneath stress from Alonso earlier than the rain arrived late on
- His team-mate, Sergio Perez, failed to attain some extent after crashing on Saturday
- Lewis Hamilton got here in fourth with Esteban Ocon ending on the rostrum
Max Verstappen withstood a late downpour to win the Monaco Grand Prix in crushing fashion.
The world champion, ranging from pole, beat eventual runner-up Fernando Alonso into the primary nook and cruised away to take the chequered flag practically half a minute forward.
His Purple Bull was unbeatable and his contact assured as he prolonged his championship result in 39 factors over team-mate Sergio Perez, who endured a poor day and failed to attain.
Lewis Hamilton got here from fifth on the grid to complete fourth, a spot behind Esteban Ocon of Alpine, the Frenchman taking the third podium of his profession.
The race was a procession for the primary hour or so earlier than George Russell complained of rain at Flip 3 on lap 51 of 78. He mentioned it was ‘spitting’. Lewis Hamilton later upgraded that to ‘harmful’.
Max Verstappen received the Monaco Grand Prix to increase his World Championship lead
Verstappen led from begin to end regardless of stress from Fernando Alonso early on within the race
Alonso (proper) completed second, with Esteban Ocon (left) securing a powerful third
Between the 2 feedback the query was when to pit. The leaders, nonetheless on their unique tyres, didn’t need to waste a change of rubber earlier than they may very well be sure a downpour was incoming. At first, the rain was patchy earlier than rising circuit-wide.
The 2 groups who known as it proper soonest had been Mercedes and Alpine. Russell and Hamilton and Ocon and Pierre Gasly pitted for intermediates. Alonso’s Aston Martin staff bought it mistaken, bringing him in for dries earlier than rectifying the error – a mistake that price him an out of doors shot at victory.
Verstappen was slithering about however held on to the observe properly sufficient earlier than submitting into the pits. ‘I’ve to drive super-slow as a result of my tyres are fucked,’ he mentioned. As soon as reshod, there have been no additional worries for him.
Hamilton was mendacity fourth and doing wonderful. Russell, up from eighth, was fifth, the place he completed.
Rain arrived later within the race and brought on chaos with drivers going off and having to vary tyres
Verstappen has now received 4 of the six races as he defends his world championship
George Russell was handed a five-second time penalty for an unsafe rejoin onto the observe
A few of the discipline struggled for sure-footedness because the heavens opened. Occasions slowed dramatically.
Carlos Sainz, hardly assured all afternoon, spun at Mirabeau, one of many earliest cites of rain. Lance Stroll crashed his Aston at Lowes. Kevin Magnussen hit the wall as his Haas staff stubbornly stored him out on dries when the observe was like a shower.
Russell was handed a five-second penalty for rejoining the observe unsafely – placing himself within the path of Perez, who completed sixteenth, having stopped 5 instances. It made no distinction as a result of his margin over sixth-placed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was giant sufficient.
Up till the intervention of the climate, it had been a boring race. Verstappen had lapped 9 automobiles by the midway level and the main dozen positions stood as per the grid. Thank goodness for the hand of God.
