Antonelli Claims Fifth Straight Monaco Win as Five Drivers Penalised for Pit-Lane Speeding
Antonelli took victory in a race marked by crashes and pit-lane penalties. Hamilton finished second while Hadjar took third.
The BbcKimi Antonelli won the Monaco Grand Prix, securing his fifth successive victory in a race that included multiple crashes and a red flag. Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari and Isack Hadjar placed third for Red Bull. Charles Leclerc crashed in the final corner during a restart, ending his race early.
Five drivers received penalties for exceeding the 60 km/h pit-lane speed limit. The drivers penalised were Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. 4 km/h over on one of his two offences.
The pit-lane limit is measured by timing loops and on-car transponders rather than a speed gun. Mercedes instructed its drivers to go wide on pit-lane entry to avoid triggering the limit, yet Russell still exceeded it. Hamilton said he was not speeding.
"I wasn't speeding. It's just the way the pit lane is. I've done this pit lane for years," he said. He added that he was shocked by the penalty and that such sanctions destroy chances on a track as short as Monaco.
Ferrari managed to offset Hamilton's penalty during the safety-car period. Piastri lost positions because of his penalty, Gasly dropped from a potential podium place, and Russell finished without points after Mercedes mishandled his safety-car pit stop and did not serve the penalty correctly. Alpine requested a right of review for the speeding penalties.
A right of review is used when penalties such as pit-lane speeding cannot be appealed and requires evidence unavailable at the time of the original decision. George Russell is 68 points behind Antonelli in the drivers' championship. After qualifying he said he has struggled to maximise the Mercedes car all season.
"I still very much believe in myself and know what I can do," Russell said. He added that if results had been more balanced he believed he would have at least two more victories. Charles Leclerc signed a contract renewal with Ferrari.
The 28-year-old said he loves the team and believes in the project. "I love the team," Leclerc said.
