Andrea Kimi Antonelli won an eventful Monaco Grand Prix that was halted by a red flag after the track surface broke up.
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Mercedes’ driver extended his run to five consecutive grand prix victories and now leads the championship by 66 points after team mate George Russell failed to score for the second race in a row.
Charles Leclerc crashed out from third place while following his team mate, and a series of penalties among other drivers determined who joined Hamilton on the podium.
Pierre Gasly crossed the line third but a 10-second penalty dropped him behind Isack Hadjar. The Red Bull driver is also under investigation for a possible infringement during the red flag period.
At the start, Antonelli’s immediate threat came from Hadjar’s team mate, who started on the front row alongside him. That threat evaporated as soon as the five red lights went out.
Max Verstappen bogged down at the start, complaining about his power unit as the field streamed past. Verstappen soon retired to the pits, while Antonelli pulled clear, building a two-second advantage over the pursuing Ferraris and Lewis Hamilton. Over the following laps the Mercedes driver extended the gap comfortably.
Hadjar, running fourth, dropped back quickly from the Ferraris and reported power unit issues as George Russell closed in on him. Russell later raised a complaint about Hadjar cutting the Nouvelle Chicane, but race control took no action.
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Russell moved ahead of Hadjar by pitting earlier, but then collected a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. He also attracted scrutiny for running close to the white line at the pit exit, though stewards ultimately found him just inside the rules.
Pit-lane speeding penalties became a recurring theme: Hamilton picked up one on lap 29 during his first stop, and several other drivers were later penalised for similar infringements.
Gasly had a strong start, passing Lando Norris and keeping the McLaren behind him, helped when Norris developed a power unit problem that eventually forced him to retire.
McLaren used Norris to slow Russell and protect Oscar Piastri, allowing Piastri to pit and rejoin ahead of Russell. McLaren then called Norris in to retire his car.
Mercedes warned Antonelli about pit-lane speed limits before his tyre change, which he completed without incident. Other teams were less fortunate: both Alpine drivers and Piastri later suffered penalties for pit-lane speeding.
As the race progressed, the surface at the final corner began to deteriorate. On lap 60 Lance Stroll, who had been struggling with engine braking issues, ran wide and hit the barrier. That incident brought out the Safety Car and prompted many teams to pit.
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Ferrari called Leclerc to follow his team mate in, but Leclerc was unhappy being held while Hamilton served his penalty; had he stayed out he might have gained a position. His frustration increased after the restart.
Russell pitted without being instructed and, because his crew were not prepared to serve his five-second penalty, lost time behind Antonelli and a position to Hadjar. He then faced an investigation for not serving the penalty correctly.
When the race restarted, Leclerc — already complaining about brake issues — fell victim to the disintegrating surface at Anthony Noghes and crashed. Race control red-flagged the meeting to allow repairs and cleaning of the damaged section.
Penalty investigations increased during the interruption. Gasly picked up a second sanction for pit-lane speeding, while Hamilton and Hadjar were investigated for Safety Car infringements; they were cleared on that count. Stewards noted Hadjar for potential red-flag rule breaches and said that would be examined after the race.
The race resumed after two formation laps, which left Russell with less time to serve the drive-through penalty he had been handed; the extra formation lap reduced the window available for serving it.
At the restart Antonelli reclaimed the lead. Russell briefly moved into third ahead of Hadjar but then deliberately slowed the field, aiming to build a gap so he could serve his penalty and rejoin in the points — a tactic that ultimately failed to yield the desired result.
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Traffic incidents also affected others: Carlos Sainz Jnr was forced wide by Nico Hulkenberg at the Fairmont hairpin and later clipped by Franco Colapinto at Portier, spinning as a result.
Antonelli remained untroubled at the front and took the chequered flag 6.2 seconds clear of Hamilton, having led by as much as half a minute earlier in the race.
Gasly finished third on the road but his penalties dropped him to seventh. Hadjar was elevated to third on the final classification but remained under investigation for work carried out on his car during the red flag; he still battled power unit issues to the end. Piastri finished less than a second behind Hadjar and stood ready to benefit if any further penalties were applied to the Red Bull driver.
The Racing Bulls pair finished fifth and sixth. Arvid Lindblad gained from the red flag by being able to take fresh tyres during the interruption without an additional pit stop, complying with the rules while improving his race position.
Alexander Albon finished eighth ahead of Esteban Ocon. Hulkenberg received a penalty for his collision with Sainz, and Sergio Perez took the final points position. Perez is under investigation for lining up incorrectly at the restart; he had already been penalised earlier in the race for the same offence. If he receives another sanction, it could benefit Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin.
Russell was classified 13th after a damaging day for his championship hopes.
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