Motorsport journalist and podcaster
Max Verstappen has taken the lead of the Formula 1 World Championship for the first time in his career after dominating the Monaco Grand Prix while title rival Lewis Hamilton struggled to a seventh-place finish.
Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen qualified second behind Charles Leclerc but gained a place before the race even started when Ferrari withdrew the Monegasque from the grand prix with a driveshaft problem related to his Q3 crash the night before.
The Dutchman aced his getaway from de facto pole to claim the lead, slicing defensively to the right to block the fast-starting Valtteri Bottas on the way to the first turn, and controlled the race thereafter, leading every lap of the grand prix in an imperious reassertion of his championship credentials with a four-point lead.
Continue reading on RACERCharles Leclerc was the shock pole-getter for Ferrari on F1’s return to Monaco, where taking pole his to go halfway to victory.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz elevated Ferrari to an unlikely session-topping performance in Friday afternoon practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Monaco native Leclerc was among the last to set his fastest time, his best effort coming with 20 minutes remaining, to set a fastest time of 1m11.684s. It was a strong rebound result for the 23-year-old, who retired from first practice with a gearbox problem after only four laps.
Teammate Sainz consolidated on his second place from the morning to finish second again the afternoon, the Spaniard looking thoroughly comfortable around the city streets. After running a long 14-lap stint on the hard tire in the morning — he was the only driver to try that compound in the afternoon — he set a time 0.112s shy of his teammate.
Continue reading on RACERThe Monaco Grand Prix is back. Can Max Verstpapen kickstart his championship campaign with a win at the most famous race of them all? I preview the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix with 2019 podcast guest Stuart Codling, executive editor, GP Racing.
Red Bull Racing needs a win to keep up with Mercedes in the title fight, and the streets of Monte Carlo present the perfect opportunity.