MONACO (AP) — Kimi Antonelli's rise to the top of Formula 1 continued in bizarre circumstances as the 19-year-old Mercedes driver won a much-delayed Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.
Antonelli was on course for victory with 10 laps remaining when the race was red-flagged after parts of the asphalt broke away and two cars crashed in quick succession, one of them third-placed Charles Leclerc.
After the race resumed from a standing start, Antonelli took his
fifth Grand Prix win in a row and extended his already vast standings lead. He's the youngest F1 winner in Monaco.
“Thank you so much guys, the car was a beast today," he told the Mercedes team.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton crossed the line second and Alpine's Pierre Gasly third. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar was moved up to third due to a penalty for Gasly.
Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell missed the points for the second race running after an engine failure while battling Antonelli for the lead of last month’s Canadian Grand Prix.
The track damage put a decidedly un-glamorous twist on one of F1’s most prestigious races as drivers waited in the pit lane, officials gazed at the damaged asphalt and a road-sweeping machine inched along the circuit clearing away loose stones.
There was more confusion as numerous drivers received time penalties or were under investigation, meaning the final standings remained uncertain.
Hadjar was facing an investigation after the race for a potential breach of red-flag rules. That raised the possibility that McLaren’s Oscar Piastri could be promoted from fifth on track to third Sunday evening, ahead of Hadjar and Gasly.
Russell had been second in the standings before the race but ended the day in 13th after a hefty penalty for failing to serve an earlier penalty properly.
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