Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli continued his meteoric rise in the Formula 1 series as the 19-year-old Italian clinched his fifth straight Grand Prix in a row with the Monaco GP win on Sunday, June 7. Antonelli led from the start to the finish in a dramatic race at the Monte Carlo, which saw several racers hit with time penalties and as many as seven retirements.
Antonelli had to deal with some pressured moments. He kept the lead intact at the start of the race, then for another time at the safety car restart and then finally at a restart after the race was suspended for quite some time to clear the debris at the track. Antonelli held his nerves to win his fifth straight race. His win at the Monaco GP makes him the youngest ever to have won at the Crown Jewel in the history of the sport.
Hamilton second, Hadjar third but FIA investigation pending
Lewis Hamilton took second after having served a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane earlier. He fended off his teammate Charles Leclerc, who ultimately crashed out due to debris on the track, a huge disappointment for the home boy.ย
Hamilton could pose a significant threat to Antonelli’s lead as the 19-year-old Mercedes driver kept him to the bay for the entirety of the race. Pierre Gasly took the chequered flag in third, but his 10-second time penalty took him outside the top five and to seventh place as Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar took the final podium. However, Hadjar’s own podium is under threat as the FIA investigates him for a potential red flag infringement.ย
Antonelli extends his championship lead
Antonelli has extended his lead at the top of the F1 championship. George Russell has dropped back from second to the third spot as Hamilton took second place in the updated drivers’ championship. Antonelli leads Hamilton by 66 points, with 156 points to his name. Russell endured another heartbreak after his DNF in Canada as he finished outside the points on 13th following his 10-second time penalty –ย one for pit lane speeding and the other for not serving it during the pits.
Meanwhile, it was a heartbreak for Max Verstappen too, who had to retire his car early at the end of the opening lap due to power issues. He was on second but could not find the power in his car at the start of the race.
ALSO READ |ย What exactly happened to Max Verstappen at Monaco GP? Red Bull driver reveals after retirement