Kimi Antonelli won the Monaco Grand Prix for Mercedes with a dominant drive from pole to flag, becoming at 19 the youngest victor on the streets of Monte Carlo, in only his second F1 race at the circuit. In a dramatic close to the race he held his nerve through two restarts under immense pressure.
Antonelli Holds Off Hamilton in Chaotic Finish
The Italian delivered a consummate exhibition to take victory from Lewis Hamilton in second and the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar in third, though neither really challenged the Mercedes. However, Antonelli had to weather nervelessly the tense final moments of a safety-car restart and then a full standing start after a red flag because the track itself was breaking up at the final corner.
It presented a dramatic final showdown, with the fast-starting Ferrari of Hamilton on the front row next to Antonelli, and while the Italian was a little slow away, a moment surely when his heart was in his mouth, he held his line, nerve and the place, enough to maintain a deserved lead to the flag.
Fifth Consecutive Win Extends Championship Lead
The win, a remarkable fifth in a row this season for the Italian, means he has extended his lead in the world championship over his teammate George Russell, who endured a trying afternoon, penalised twice: once for speeding in the pit lane and then again for failing to serve that five-second penalty during a pit stop, with a drive-through later in the race. His 13th place was another bruising blow to Russell's chances as he falls to 68 points behind, with Hamilton now moving to second in the championship, 66 in arrears.
Max Verstappen, who started on the front row alongside Antonelli, was left disappointed as his Red Bull suffered a technical problem when the lights went out and had to retire his car. Full report to follow.
