Formula 1 moved further west into Europe from Imola to the glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo for the Monaco Grand Prix. Monaco’s circuit, a stunning and a real test of driver skill, has been a staple on the Grand Prix calendar since 1929. It feels like chaos in an F1 car; even in comparison to other street circuits, it’s so narrow, the roads are cambered, it’s tight and twisty, and there are challenges at every turn.
Race Guide
Date: 24th May 2024 – 26th May 2024
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 78
Circuit length: 3.337km
2023 winner: Max Verstappen
The Monaco Grand Prix, often called Formula 1’s crown jewel, was promising another thrilling race weekend in 2024. Max Verstappen, who delivered a spectacular qualifying lap in Monaco in 2023 to secure pole position and ultimately win the race, would need to summon more of that magic as he faced stiff competition from Ferrari and McLaren. Lando Norris, with a great start to the ’24 season, would be aiming for his fourth consecutive podium finish. At the same time, his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, was also expected to be a strong contender in the hunt for glory.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 2024 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time |
| 24 May 2024 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time |
| 25 May 2024 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 12:30 pm – 13:30 pm local time |
| 25 May 2024 | Qualifying | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time |
| 26 May 2024 | Race | 3:00 pm local time |
Friday’s FP1 and FP2 practice sessions saw Lewis Hamilton top the timesheets during FP1, with championship leader Max Verstappen struggling down in P11. Later that day in FP2, Hamilton continued to impress, finishing the day in P2 behind Charles Leclerc in P1 and Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, improving in P3. On Saturday during FP3, Charles Leclerc continued his impressive start to the weekend by once again setting the fastest time in the final practice session ahead of Saturday’s qualifying.
In Saturday afternoon qualifying, Charles Leclerc secured pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix, outperforming Oscar Piastri in second and teammate Carlos Sainz in third. Defending world champion Max Verstappen’s run of eight consecutive poles came to an end as he could only manage sixth place in qualifying.
On Sunday, Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix at the chequered flag, ending his curse at his home race. The hard work was done in qualifying, with the Monegasque keeping his composure to finish the job on race day ahead of Oscar Piastri in second and Carlos Sainz in third. For Leclerc, this was third-time lucky after his previous two poles at the circuit failed to become race victories.
Championship background
Red Bull returned to winning form at the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen overcoming early practice difficulties to secure both pole position and victory at the iconic Imola circuit.
Meanwhile, Miami winner Lando Norris nearly achieved consecutive wins, delivering a strong performance that saw the McLaren driver pressuring Verstappen throughout the second stint and finishing just seven-tenths of a second behind in P2.
Although Norris missed another major win by “one or two laps,” his effort demonstrated that Red Bull wasn’t dominating as much as they had in 2023. The Imola and Miami performances were looking for any opportunity for an upset on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Historically, Red Bull had faced more challenges on street circuits. With the upgraded McLarens and Ferraris showing significant pace, a three-way battle for one of the most coveted poles of the year was an exciting possibility.
Additionally, Mercedes and Aston Martin, with their own upgrades in Imola and Miami, were looking to perfect those, and the potential for a qualifying surprise from drivers like Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg, who had both impressed so far in 2024, added to the anticipation.
Race entries
Unlike in Imola, where FP1 saw Haas driver Kevin Magnussen relinquish his seat for Ferrari and Haas reserve driver Oliver Bearman, Monaco’s demands meant that all the drivers from the start of the season would take to the track during every session; FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
Pirelli selected its softest three compounds—C3, C4, and C5—for the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix. The tyre manufacturer highlighted that the track features a particularly smooth surface, which is regularly used by road cars and requires tyres that provide maximum grip.
The tyres on Monte Carlo’s streets experience some of the lowest forces seen throughout the season due to the track’s very low average speed, and just under a third of the 3.337-kilometre lap is spent at full throttle. However, the tyres still face stress in the traction zones, with 78 laps of twists and turns on Sunday. Graining can also be an issue, especially during the first few days as the track is rubbering in.
Regarding strategy, the only feasible option for 2024 was a one-stop, with drivers extending their opening stints and looking to capitalise on potential Safety Car periods – four of the previous seven races before 2024 in Monaco had featured a Safety Car.
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Free Practice
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton led the timesheets during Friday’s opening free practice session FP1 for the Monaco Grand Prix, outperforming McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and his Mercedes teammate George Russell as the F1 European season maintained its fast pace. However, Max Verstappen, who had anticipated a “more difficult” weekend, found his RB20 to be on a “knife edge” during the opening runs. Replays showed him coming perilously close to the barriers at Sainte Devote, Tabac, and the Piscine complex.
During FP2, Charles Leclerc demonstrated the speed many had anticipated from Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix, leading the second practice session at his home race. Lewis Hamilton impressed again to take second after topping the first session, with Fernando Alonso behind in third. Championship leader Verstappen edged closer to the front in fourth.
On Saturday during FP3, Charles Leclerc maintained his and Ferrari’s dominance at the top of the timesheets during Saturday’s final practice session, leading ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Full Free Practice Reports
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 24 May 2024, at 1:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 24 May 2024, at 5:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 25 May 2024, at 12:30 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.369 | 26 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:11.566 | +0.197s | 27 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:11.710 | +0.341s | 25 |
| 4 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.901 | +0.532s | 25 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:11.923 | +0.554s | 24 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:11.968 | +0.599s | 33 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:11.979 | +0.610s | 26 |
| 8 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.988 | +0.619s | 24 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 1:11.991 | +0.622s | 27 |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:12.087 | +0.718s | 25 |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:12.144 | +0.775s | 26 |
| 12 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.180 | +0.811s | 24 |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:12.192 | +0.823s | 24 |
| 14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:12.216 | +0.847s | 31 |
| 15 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:12.331 | +0.962s | 25 |
| 16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:12.472 | +1.103s | 25 |
| 17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.703 | +1.334s | 21 |
| 18 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 1:12.829 | +1.460s | 28 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:13.830 | +2.461s | 28 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 2 |
Qualifying
Charles Leclerc claimed pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, edging out Oscar Piastri, while world championship leader Max Verstappen qualified in sixth place. Leclerc, the favourite after leading in the second and third practice sessions, delivered a spectacular lap of 1:10.270 under immense pressure at his home race. McLaren’s Piastri continued his impressive form throughout the weekend to secure a spot alongside Leclerc on the front row.
Further back, Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg were disqualified from the qualifying results for the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix after stewards found an irregularity with the drag reduction system (DRS) openings on the rear wings of their VF-24 cars.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 24 May 2024, at 4:00 pm local time.
What happened in the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix?
After an exhilarating qualifying session on Saturday, marked by unexpected early exits and a stunning pole position lap from local favourite Leclerc, all eyes turned to Sunday’s race at the Circuit de Monaco.
Post-qualifying, there was late drama as both Haas cars were disqualified from the session due to non-compliant rear wings, relegating them to the back of the grid for the Grand Prix.
As the cars lined up on the grid under warm and sunny conditions, there was an even split between medium and hard tyre compounds for the anticipated one-stop race. Red Bull opted for the C3 hard tyres, while the Ferraris were among those starting on the C4 mediums.
Leclerc had a smooth launch from P1, with Piastri initially maintaining second ahead of Sainz. However, a minor collision between Piastri and Sainz at Sainte Devote resulted in Sainz’s Ferrari suffering a puncture and veering off at Casino.
The drama escalated when cameras showed a heavily damaged Red Bull, driven by Perez, alongside the two halted Haas cars on track. The red flags were deployed as replays revealed Perez was tagged by Magnussen on the inside, causing him to ricochet across the circuit and collide with Hulkenberg.
Fortunately, everyone emerged unscathed, and the remaining cars returned to the pit lane to await the race restart. Sainz managed to get his SF-24 going again, and additional replays highlighted another dramatic collision between the two Alpine cars during Lap 1.
“What did he do?” a furious Gasly shouted over team radio after Ocon’s attempt to overtake through Portier resulted in Ocon bouncing into the air following their contact.
As the dust settled, teams and drivers awaited further updates from Race Control as repairs continued on the damaged barriers. When an update arrived, it was confirmed that the restart order would reflect the standings at the time of the Perez/Haas accident, meaning Sainz would regain his third-place position.
There were still questions about how the stoppage would affect race strategy, particularly with the option to change tyres. Uncertainty lingered over whether the pause had provided enough time to repair any potential damage to cars like those of Piastri, Sainz, and the Alpines.
The race was announced to resume at 15:44 local time with 76 laps remaining. It quickly became apparent that most drivers had taken the opportunity to switch tyres from their starting compound, hoping to run to the end of the event on the new set.
As the Grand Prix recommenced – minus Ocon, who had sustained too much damage from his collision with Gasly – the remaining 16 cars had a cleaner getaway, with Leclerc leading from Piastri, Sainz, and Norris.
Russell seemed determined to stay close to Norris as the race settled down. Despite his Mercedes engineer advising him not to worry about maintaining such proximity to the McLaren, the Briton responded that he felt it was his “only opportunity.”
The stewards confirmed that Ocon had been handed a time penalty for his collision with Gasly. However, with Ocon out of the race and Gasly running in P10, the penalty would be converted to a five-place grid drop for the next race in Canada.
As Lap 10 approached, Piastri set the fastest lap, remaining within one second of Leclerc, while Sainz closely followed the Australian in third. Russell, in fifth, had dropped back slightly, seemingly trying to conserve his medium tyres, with Verstappen on C4 tyres trailing him in sixth.
In the following laps, the gap at the front narrowed further as Leclerc seemed reluctant to extend his lead. Bottas pitted on Lap 16 to switch from mediums to hards, soon setting the fastest lap.
With the top three still tightly bunched, Sainz asked if Leclerc was managing his pace, expressing concern that Piastri might make an aggressive move. Further back, the gaps were also tight, with Tsunoda, Albon, and Gasly chasing points in eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively.
By Lap 23, the top four – all on hard tyres – had pulled away from Russell in fifth. Leclerc had opened a gap of over a second from Piastri, with Sainz two seconds further back.
In the midfield, Alonso was leading a pack from P12 to Bottas in P16. The Aston Martin driver, who had gained positions at the start after a tough qualifying, was struggling to shake off his rivals.
Norris, still within a second of Sainz in fourth, reported “abrasion” on his “front left” tyre as the race approached Lap 29. The question was whether the McLaren could build enough of a gap to Russell in P5 to make a pit stop.
Graining appeared to be an issue for many drivers, with Norris’s engineer informing him that Sainz was experiencing the same problem. Both Mercedes and Aston Martin were also struggling with tyre graining, making strategy an increasingly crucial factor in the race.
Sainz expressed his concerns about his strategic plan on Lap 34, asking his engineer, “Is there a risk that if we open 20 seconds, Lando goes for a soft maybe? Lando on the soft will be dangerous, as tyres are starting to grain.”
With Norris’s gap to Russell in fifth standing at 17 seconds nearing the halfway point, Leclerc slowed to back the pack up and prevent the pit stop window from opening for Norris.
At Aston Martin, similar strategy play was occurring as Alonso held his position in front of the midfield train, seemingly to keep teammate Stroll ahead in P11, close to Gasly in the final points-paying position of P10.
Meanwhile, the leaders began to approach this stream of cars to lap them, starting with Bottas in the Kick Sauber. Having made a pit stop earlier, Bottas was still setting fastest lap times.
Stroll became the next driver to make a rare visit to the pits on Lap 44 and, thanks to Alonso’s defensive teamwork, reemerged in his original position of 11th, with a 20-second gap to Gasly ahead in the battle for points.
By Lap 48, Leclerc held a gap of less than two seconds to Piastri. Sounding calm on the radio, he asked his engineer if they wanted to know how much faster he could go. The response was, “We are not interested,” to which Leclerc retorted, “That’s rude.”
The drama unfolded two laps later as Stroll reported a puncture after clipping the barriers shortly after his pit stop. The Canadian managed to return to the pits to switch to the soft compound while the carcass of his punctured tyre rolled near the pit lane.
A flurry of activity ensued in the pits, with Hamilton stopping from P7 for a set of used hards. Given his gap to Tsunoda in P8, the seven-time world champion retained his position. Verstappen followed suit on the next lap, pitting from P6 for his starting hard tyres and slotting neatly back into the same place.
Elsewhere, Bottas overtook Sargeant through Mirabeau to move into 13th place. Up ahead, Russell seemed destined to remain in sixth, as a pit stop would drop him behind the charging Verstappen and Hamilton.
As Verstappen continued to eat into Russell’s advantage – and Stroll swept past Zhou and Sargeant after switching to soft tyres – the front-runners were left pondering whether a pit stop could be worthwhile.
With the race heading into its latter stages by Lap 60, it seemed Norris had missed his chance to pit as Russell increased his speed to break away from Verstappen, though the possibility of a stop remained for Piastri.
While Verstappen continued to look for a way past Russell, the Mercedes driver’s earlier tire management seemed to be paying off as he remained ahead of the Red Bull. Meanwhile, Norris stayed narrowly behind Sainz further ahead.
Late drama was hinted at when Sargeant reported hitting the wall, though he escaped without damage in P15. Piastri, meanwhile, had dropped back from Leclerc at the front, raising the possibility of a challenge from Sainz.
As Leclerc vowed to “bring it home,” Piastri, Sainz, and Norris ran closely, intensifying the battle for second. Sainz ultimately could not overtake Piastri, and the positions remained unchanged as Leclerc crossed the line to take an emotional home victory.
Further back, Russell resisted pressure from Verstappen to claim P5, with the Dutchman following in P6 ahead of Hamilton in P7 and Tsunoda in P8.
Albon and Gasly scored their first points of the season in ninth and tenth respectively, marking the debut points for Williams in 2024, while Alonso missed out in 11th for Aston Martin.
Ricciardo and Bottas finished without points in 12th and 13th, ahead of Stroll who took 14th after a late fightback following his puncture.
Sargeant crossed the line in P15 for Williams, while Zhou was the last of the classified runners in P16. Ocon, Perez, Hulkenberg, and Magnussen had all retired following their first-lap incidents.
2024 Monaco Grand Prix race results
The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix Race was held on 26 May 2024, at 3:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/Retired | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 78 | 2:23:15.554 | 25 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 78 | +7.152s | 18 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 78 | +7.585s | 15 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 78 | +8.650s | 12 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 78 | +13.309s | 10 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 78 | +13.853s | 8 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton1 | Mercedes | 78 | +14.908s | 7 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 77 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 77 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 77 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 76 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 76 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 76 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 76 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 15 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 76 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 16 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 76 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix.
2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 169 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 138 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren | 113 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Ferrari | 108 |
| 5 | Sergio Pérez | MEX | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 107 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren | 71 |
| 7 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 54 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes | 42 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Mercedes | 33 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | RB-Honda RBPT | 19 |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Mercedes | 11 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Ferrari | 6 |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Haas Ferrari | 6 |
| 14 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | RB-Honda RBPT | 5 |
| 15 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Mercedes | 2 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Alpine Renault | 1 |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | Haas Ferrari | 1 |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine Renault | 1 |
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
| 21 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 276 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 252 |
| 3 | McLaren Mercedes | 184 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 96 |
| 5 | Aston Martin Mercedes | 44 |
| 6 | RB-Honda RBPT | 24 |
| 7 | Haas Ferrari | 7 |
| 8 | Williams Mercedes | 2 |
| 9 | Alpine Renault | 2 |
| 10 | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
Source: formula1.com
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