Kimi Antonelli breaks three records while winning the Monaco GP, as George Russell talks about his ‘bad luck.’
The Mercedes driver cruised to victory on the streets of Monte Carlo, finishing 6.2 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli led every lap, starting from pole position and setting the fastest lap of the race, making him the youngest driver ever in F1 history to achieve a Grand Slam.
But that’s not all—Antonelli also became the youngest winner of the Monaco Grand Prix at just 19 years and nine months old. For comparison, Hamilton was 23 years and four months old when he won the rain-soaked 2008 race. Antonelli is also the youngest F1 driver to win five Grands Prix in a row.
After crossing the finish line, Antonelli told his race engineer, Pete Bonnington, over team radio, “Thank you so much. The car was a beast today. It’s been an amazing race with great pace. Everything felt natural. The car gave me the confidence to push hard. Today was really enjoyable.”
His win was even more impressive given he had to handle two safety car periods and a red flag. The race was stopped on lap 69 when parts of the resurfaced track near the final corner started to break apart, causing drivers Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll to slide into the barrier.
This meant a second standing start, with Antonelli lining up alongside the faster Ferrari of Hamilton. But Antonelli made it through the first turn without any issues and quickly pulled ahead.
For Hamilton, it was his second straight second-place finish, moving him into second in the Drivers’ Championship behind Antonelli, although still 66 points behind. His teammate Leclerc was set for third place until he crashed on the second safety car restart, blaming brake issues—leading to a strong response from Ferrari’s brake supplier.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen qualified second but had engine troubles right after the start and had to retire on lap 1. He joked that he’d be making the short walk home in Monte Carlo instead of watching the race.
Further down the field, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly crossed the line third, which would have been the French team’s first podium this season. Unfortunately, he received two five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to seventh. This promoted fellow Frenchman Isack Hadjar to third, giving him his first F1 podium.
Hadjar was checked by race officials for a possible red flag rule breach but was cleared since his team hadn’t worked on his car during the stoppage. On the other hand, Cadillac’s Sergio Perez received a 10-second penalty for being in the wrong spot at the red flag restart. This penalty moved Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso up to 10th, earning his team’s first points of the season.
While Antonelli stood proudly on the top step, his teammate George Russell had a tougher day, finishing outside the points for the second race in a row. Russell battled Hadjar for fourth early on but got a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Then, after not serving it properly, he received a drive-through penalty, dropping him to 12th place.
Russell, who’s also had some bad luck this season with only one win and sitting 68 points behind Antonelli, expressed his frustration after the race, saying, “I don’t really know what to say. Two races in a row now—could have won last week, maybe finished P3 or P4 today. It’s 40 points lost for reasons outside our control.”
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Written by Ryan Smart