A chaotic, stop-start Monaco Grand Prix ended with the hugely impressive Kimi Antonelli extending his lead in the drivers’ championship to a whopping 66 points.
The Italian teenager – the youngest driver ever to win in Monaco – was the coolest man on track as the chaos unfolded around him, eventually winning by six seconds from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton rises to second in the drivers’ championship after a truly disastrous race for George Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes team mate.
Russell was one of a record number of drivers to be hit with five-second penalties for speeding in the pitlane. The British driver then had to serve a drive-through penalty for failing to serve his first penalty correctly during a safety car period.
After a late red flag period caused by the Monte Carlo track breaking up at turn 19 – an issue which may or may not have contributed to race-ending crashes involving Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc – the race restarted with 10 laps remaining. Russell dropped from third to 13th and out of the points.
Antonelli had surged away at the front after second-placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull experienced a power unit issue at the start.
The Italian, 19, has now won five races in a row and looks in complete control of this championship, breaking records at will. In Monaco he became the youngest driver in F1 history to claim pole, lead every lap, produce the fastest lap, and win.
More to follow…
