After Formula 1 hit

Leclerc victory in Monaco brings tension to the world championship battle

Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari

(Bild: AFP)

The dominance of triple world champion Max Verstappen in Formula 1 seems to be crumbling. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc made a comeback in the world championship battle with his first home win at the Monaco Grand Prix and reduced the gap to the Red Bull title defender, who only finished sixth, to 31 points. "Sometimes it's Verstappen, McLaren or us. You don't know if you're going to finish first or sixth. That's good for the sport," said Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur. 

However, it is difficult to judge whether a trend reversal has actually taken place after the eighth of 24 races this season. After all, the classic in Monaco was held almost without any overtaking maneuvers, and the first ten drivers on the grid crossed the finish line in the same order. Tactical braking was also part of the strategy. "I'm not thinking about the championship, it's far too early in the season," said the 26-year-old Leclerc. "It's just one win, the season is still very long. I'm happy with how things are going and hope there are more wins to come."

"I almost fell asleep!"
Five-time season winner Verstappen explained on ORF that they had driven four seconds slower than usual "because we were all managing the tires". This was another reason why there was criticism of the traditional circuit, which is only contractually bound to Formula 1 until 2025. "I almost fell asleep," complained McLaren driver Lando Norris, who finished fourth. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff resorted to unusual measures. "I got a yogurt and an espresso in between. I've never done that before in the last twelve years," said the Viennese driver.

"A cracking first round and then complete boredom," wrote the Daily Mail. The winner couldn't care less. "Leclerc, you are the Prince of Monaco!" was the verdict of the Gazzetta dello Sport. For the first time in almost three years, there were three different winners in a row from three different racing teams in the premier class. Norris won in Miami, Verstappen just ahead of Norris in Imola and Leclerc in the Principality. It is unclear who currently has the fastest car. "We had problems here. But there will be tracks again where we will be better," said Verstappen. A lot can still happen in the world championship, the Dutchman emphasized. Who does Verstappen see as his biggest rivals? "All of them."

"We were on the pace today!"
In the constructors' championship, Red Bull Racing leads Ferrari by 24 points, with McLaren 92 points behind. Mercedes, the industry leader for many years, had to settle for fifth and seventh place in Monaco for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. "We were on the pace today. Not just with the slow train, but overall we would have been fast," said Wolff, whose team had taken "a big step" closer. He also said that Red Bull's performance was currently declining a little.

"It's difficult to say. McLaren has made a really good step forward, Ferrari has made further gains and Red Bull has probably gone backwards a bit," said Wolff, when asked about a possible turnaround. However, the 52-year-old made it clear: "Overall, they are still the benchmark."