MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen took advantage of Charles Leclerc’s gearbox malfunction to lead Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix from start to finish and move into the lead of the FIA Formula One World Championship for the first time ever.
With Leclerc’s Ferrari unable to take its pole position on the starting grid, Dutchman Verstappen held off Valtteri Bottas into the first corner and controlled the race for his first Monaco GP win ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. and McLaren’s Lando Norris in third.
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda leads the field at the start of the race during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Red Bull Racing Honda teammate Sergio Pérez produced an assured drive to bank fourth place with Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda’s Pierre Gasly fending off Lewis Hamilton for sixth and Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda finishing 16th in his debut at the iconic F1 race.
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT02 Honda during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson)
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT02 Honda on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Verstappen, 23, now leads the driver standings by four points from reigning champion Hamilton after five of the 23 races with the paddock heading to Baku next for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on June 6.
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Second placed Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari, race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and third placed Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 stand on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes)MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 23: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates with his team in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 23, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
He said: “It is so special around here to win and also for me the first time on the podium. Amazing race. It is a lot of laps around here and you really have to keep your focus. It is really cool. It was all about looking after your tyres and the others went earlier, so that made it a bit easier for me.”
