Hometown hero Charles Leclerc ended his Monaco curse by winning a processional race that Max Verstappen claimed was “so boring” he wish he had “brought my pillow”. After near-misses in 2021 and 2022, Leclerc kept McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at bay to take his first victory on home soil and reduce the championship gap to Verstappen. Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz finished third, one place ahead of British driver Lando Norris.
George Russell crossed the line in fifth for Mercedes with Verstappen sixth and Lewis Hamilton seventh. The top 10 finished in the same order they started. The race had started in explosive fashion when Sergio Perez was fortunate to walk away from a staggering 160mph crash on the opening lap.
Perez, 16th on the grid, hit the barrier as the field made their way up the hill from Sainte Devote. The Mexican was sent into the wall after Kevin Magnussen’s front-left wheel made contract with the rear-right of Perez’s Red Bull. Perez’s Red Bull machinery was destroyed on impact, with all but one of the Mexican’s four wheels ripping off his car.
Perez also wiped out Magnussen’s Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg in the devastating three-car pile-up. "That is a MONSTER of an accident!" 😲 A look at the huge crash between Perez and both Haas drivers which caused a red flag – thankfully all three drivers are out of the cars and are fine ✅ pic.twitter.
com/Df10hRTSIf Mercifully, the trio were able to walk away unscathed. Perez was not even.