Antonelli wins chaotic Monaco Grand Prix ahead of Hamilton to continue charge towards title

[p]The 19-year-old ‌Italian built a big ‌lead after starting from pole position in his ‌Mercedes but that evaporated ⁠after ‌a late red flag to ​inspect a crumbling surface at the final ​corner following a crash that took out Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]⁠Charles ​Leclerc[/a].[/p][p]After a delay of around 40 minutes while repairs were carried out, the ‌race resumed with a standing start but ice-cool [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a] was unfazed as he became the youngest ever winner of the iconic race.[/p][embed guid="bb40f8b8-c6fd-4186-bceb-7b0509bd02c6" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2063646875144667522" social-type="twitter" /][p]Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a] was runner-up for the ‌second successive Grand ​Prix with Red Bull's Isack ‌Hadjar third, although he was one of a number of drivers under investigation for a variety ⁠of ⁠infringements.[/p][p]Hamilton, who equalled the late Ayrton Senna's eight Monaco podiums, moved above Antonelli's team mate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]George Russell[/a] into second place in the standings, 66 points behind Antonelli.[/p][embed guid="a4c8e2ed-38ea-4d58-90a6-8240516dd129" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2063646431047475661" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"It's been an incredible weekend and an incredible race," [/b]said Antonelli, who was not even born the last time an Italian won the Monaco Grand Prix - Jarno Trulli in 2004.[/p][p][b]"We had incredible pace and it all came so natural and that gave me the confidence to push."[/b][/p][p]A year after finishing last on his F1 debut at Monaco, Antonelli showed incredible poise to shrug off the red flag drama that meant he effectively had to win two races.[/p][p][b]"I wasn't super keen on restarting, but once the notification came out, I just gathered my emotions and re-focused again. Once I got away and was P1 into the first corner, I could enjoy the last few laps."[/b][/p][p]Seven-time world champion Hamilton, who had been ​the youngest Monaco winner when he won in 2008 aged 23, is still to top the podium since joining Ferrari in 2025 but continued his resurgence at the age of 41.[/p][p][b]"That's too many wins now, buddy!"[/b] Hamilton joked with the new young prince of F1 in the cool down room.[/p][embed guid="450194e3-a756-491d-bfe7-4465ef415300" url="https://x.com/ScuderiaFerrari/status/2063688876921700840" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Silver arrow[/h2][p]Antonelli was in a class of his own. By the end of lap one he ‌had a three-second lead and turned the race into a procession around the sun-bathed circuit, threading his silver arrow imperiously through tight and narrow streets.[/p][p]His domination was underlined by the fact he then built a 6.271 seconds winning margin in the final eight laps after the race resumed with the day's second standing start.[/p][p]Antonelli suffered a crisis of confidence during the European races last season after finishing 18th in Monaco, but he is now beginning to look invincible.[/p][p][b]Every driver who had won five races in succession in an F1 season has gone on to win the title.[/b][/p][embed guid="fe2584be-3d5d-4c68-b640-de4596532b0a" url="https://x.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/2063678286866088023" social-type="twitter" /][p]His task was made easier on Sunday as Red Bull's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a], who started alongside him on the front row, stalled on the grid and retired after a lap with a power unit issue.[/p][p]It was also a miserable day for reigning world champion and 2025 Monaco winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Lando Norris[/a] who ‌retired after 46 laps when the electrical gremlins that dogged him in practice returned.[/p][p][b]Local favourite Leclerc received vociferous support by crowds ​wedged around the 3.3km circuit but his hopes of emulating his 2024 win vanished when he hit the barriers ‌on the final corner on the resumption after the safety car was deployed following a crash by Aston Martin's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stroll-lance/I3p9zz4s/"]Lance Stroll[/a] after 60 laps.[/b][/p][p]Leclerc said an issue with his brakes had caused the accident, not the loose road surface on the final corner where Stroll's crash triggered a baffling conclusion to the race.[/p][p]McLaren's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a] was fourth with Racing Bulls duo [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lawson-liam/nap8RjeO/"]Liam Lawson[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindblad-arvid/bgk1rl5a/"]Arvid Lindblad[/a] fifth and sixth.[/p][p]Alpine's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gasly-pierre/nqYFMBBf/"]Pierre Gasly[/a] had finished third on the road ⁠but was immediately demoted to seventh after two five-second penalties for ⁠speeding in the pit lane - one of five ‌drivers to fall foul of that law on a day when only Antonelli kept a cool head.[/p]