Monaco Grand Prix sets F1 record with historic first as drivers BEG for change

Monaco Port in Monte Carlo, Monaco — Photo: © IMAGO

Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco Grand Prix sets F1 record with historic first as drivers BEG for change

The Monaco Grand Prix has set a rather unwanted record in 2024

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 27 May 2024 12:12

The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix has set a new record after home hero Charles Leclerc achieved an impressive win.

Leclerc bested his rivals in qualifying, taking the all important pole position that was crucial to his victory on Sunday.

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He was followed by the McLaren of Oscar Piastri in second, with team-mate Carlos Sainz completing the podium in third.

Max Verstappen finished the race in P6, taking a dent to his championship lead after a disastrous weekend for Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc took an emotional first win at the Monaco Grand Prix

The top three in the race were also the top three in qualifying

Has the Monaco GP outgrown F1?

Whilst Leclerc's win was certainly emotional, there was little action in the race, bar a few dramatic first lap incidents.

Overtaking is difficult in Monaco due to the width of modern F1 cars, this feature earning the grand prix an unwanted record.

The top 10 finished in their starting order for the first time in F1 history, with the previous record being the top six.

Verstappen criticised the lack of action around Monaco after the race when he spoke to Sky Sports.

"I mean we just finished where we started, the strategy also got ruined with the red flag so we had to really back it out on the medium," the Dutchman said.

"We knew that 77 laps on the medium tyre is going to be extremely hard, so yeah from lap one on the restart it was driving four seconds off the pace and yeah, chill.

"It's no workout whatsoever, its just really really boring."

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen criticise the Monaco Grand Prix

Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton called for changes to the Monaco Grand Prix on the Thursday before the race.

"Do you guys [the media] not fall asleep on Sunday watching the race? Yeah. So, creating something else somehow, I don't know how you do it," Hamilton said.

"The cars are getting bigger. You can't really overtake without the risk of colliding, so I wish we had bigger roads and the track could be wider, but I don't think that's ever going to be the case in Monaco because it's just a small place.

"The race is continuously pretty much the same. It's a one-stop race. I would say maybe special tyres for this race, so you have more pit stops that create more variability."

Red Bull McLaren Charles Leclerc Oscar Piastri Carlos Sainz Monaco Grand Prix