Driver Standings After the 2024 F1 Monaco Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc's Triumphant Victory

Starting from pole position, Leclerc managed to stay ahead of the pack despite early race chaos. The race was red-flagged before the first lap was completed due to a collision involving Sergio Perez’s Red Bull and the Haas cars of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.

Leclerc held on to the lead after the restart. Having changed tires under red flag conditions, many wondered whether the cars would be able to last more than 70 laps on the same set of tyres, or whether they would have to pit again.

Leclerc then set about managing his tires and staying in front to secure a historic victory. The win was not only his first at Monaco, but also his first since 2022, giving his championship campaign a boost.

Top Five Finishers

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
   Leclerc had done the hardest in qualifying and managed the race without any problems.. Finishing with a time of 2:23:15.554, he managed to keep a calm head throughout the race, even as the tension mounted in the final laps. His victory earned him 25 points, propelling him up the driver standings.
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
   The young Australian driver finished just 7.152 seconds behind Leclerc, holding off a late challenge from Carlos Sainz. This second-place finish demonstrated Piastri’s growing confidence and skill, adding 18 points to his tally.
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
   Carlos Sainz made it a double podium for Ferrari, finishing third and just 7.585 seconds behind Leclerc. Throughout the latter stages of the race, Sainz was under constant pressure from Lando Norris but managed to hold his position, securing 15 points.
4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
   Lando Norris had a strong race, finishing fourth and closely trailing Sainz for much of the event. His consistent performance added 12 points to his season total.
5. George Russell (Mercedes)
   George Russell, equipped with an upgraded front wing, was the lead Mercedes driver, finishing fifth. He managed to fend off a charging Max Verstappen, earning 10 valuable points for his efforts.

Midfield Battles and Notable Performances

Max Verstappen finished sixth after a challenging weekend for Red Bull, followed by Lewis Hamilton in seventh. Yuki Tsunoda had another solid day, finishing eighth and adding to his points tally. Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly both scored their first points of the year for Williams and Alpine, respectively, finishing ninth and tenth.

Fernando Alonso, who had a difficult Saturday, managed to recover somewhat but just missed out on points, finishing eleventh. Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas also failed to score points, finishing twelfth and thirteenth respectively. Lance Stroll ended the event in fourteenth after suffering a puncture following a pit stop, while Williams’ Logan Sargeant followed in fifteenth.

Implications for the Driver Standings

The results of the Monaco Grand Prix have had significant implications for the driver standings:

• With his victory, Leclerc narrows the gap on Verstappen in the championship.
• Verstappen loses ground on his main rivals following his disappointing performance.
• Perez's DNF extends his decline from Miami, causing him to be surpassed in the rankings by Norris and Sainz, consequently slipping from 3rd to 5th place.

Here’s a look at the driver standings after the Monaco Grand Prix:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) - 169 points
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 138 points
3. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 113 points
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 108 points
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) - 107 points
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 71 points
7. George Russell (Mercedes) - 54 points
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 42 points
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 33 points
10. Yuki Tsunoda (RB) - 19 points
11. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 11 points
12. Oliver Bearman (Ferrari) - 6 points
13. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) - 6 points
14. Daniel Ricciardo (RB) - 5 points
15. Alexander Albon (Williams) - 2 points
16. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) - 1 point
17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) - 1 point
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 1 point
19. Guanyu Zhou (Kick Sauber) - 0 points
20. Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber) - 0 points
21. Logan Sargeant (Williams) - 0 points

Driver Standings Evolution

Highlights

Dramatic Start and Red Flag

• Huge crash on Lap 1 involving Perez, Magnussen, Hulkenberg (all DNF).
• Red flag thrown for repairs after crash.
• Ocon forced to retire following collision with Gasly (grid penalty for Canada).
• Sainz suffers puncture early but rejoins after pit stop.

Strategy Battle and Tire Management

• An original strategy with no pit stop after the red flag on the first lap.
• Leclerc manages gaps to prevent rivals from pitting early.
• Alonso holds up midfield train to help Stroll stay near points.
• Norris reports tire graining, a concern for other drivers as well.
• Bottas makes early pit stop on Lap 16, sets fastest laps on fresh hards.

Midfield Fight and Pit Stops

• Stroll pits on Lap 44 but suffers puncture shortly after.
• Hamilton and Verstappen pit for used hards on Laps 45 & 46 respectively.
• Russell stays out longer, manages to hold off Verstappen.
• Sargeant brushes wall but avoids damage (finishes P15).

Late Drama and Race Finish

• Piastri drops back from Leclerc, allows Sainz to close the gap.
• Leclerc holds off pressure to win, dedicates victory to his father.
• Sainz holds off Norris for P2, Ferrari celebrates double podium.
• Russell defends P5 from a late charge by Verstappen.
• Albon (Williams) and Gasly (Alpine) score first points of the season (P9 & P10).
• Alonso misses out on points in P11 for Aston Martin.
• Ricciardo (P12), Bottas (P13) also miss out on points.
• Stroll recovers to P14 after puncture.
• Zhou finishes last classified driver (P16).