Monte Carlo, June 7 (IANS) Kimi Antonelli kept his cool amid late-race drama and a host of retirements to claim victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, extending his lead at the top of the Formula One Drivers’ Championship standings.

The Mercedes driver turned pole position into a strong win on the streets of Monte Carlo, finishing ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar. Seven drivers didn’t reach the chequered flag during the race.

Antonelli had a perfect start, keeping the lead when the lights went out. Meanwhile, reigning world champion Max Verstappen struggled at the start as his Red Bull seemed to go into anti-stall mode. He dropped back in the pack before retiring, becoming the first casualty of the race.

With Verstappen out, Antonelli slowly increased his lead over the Ferrari duo of Hamilton and local favorite Charles Leclerc. Several other competitors faced mechanical issues.

The race looked likely to end without drama until the final stages when Lance Stroll crashed at the last corner of the Circuit de Monaco with about 20 laps to go. The Safety Car bunched up the cars and briefly threatened Antonelli’s comfortable lead. However, it also allowed several drivers to pit and serve time penalties with little impact on their positions.

The excitement ramped up after the restart when Leclerc crashed at the same corner as Stroll. Officials had to pause the race to check for damage and track issues at the crash site.

Leclerc’s retirement was crucial for the podium battle. Hadjar moved into third place, securing his first Formula One podium for Red Bull. Although Pierre Gasly finished ahead of him, two five-second penalties pushed Gasly down the order.

Oscar Piastri crossed the line in fourth, while Liam Lawson took fifth.

It was a good day for Racing Bulls, with rising star Arvid Lindblad finishing sixth. Gasly ended up in seventh, followed by Alex Albon in eighth and Esteban Ocon in ninth.

Cadillac celebrated as Sergio Perez scored their first Formula One points, though he remained under investigation for an alleged false start.

Just outside the points, Fernando Alonso finished ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and a heavily penalized George Russell. The second Audi, driven by Nico Hulkenberg, was classified 14th. Franco Colapinto was the last driver to finish the race.

Monaco’s tough streets took out several notable drivers during the afternoon. Verstappen’s early retirement was followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris, whose power unit problems marked his first pointless race of the season.

Oliver Bearman, Valtteri Bottas, Stroll, Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz Jr. also did not finish. Bottas’ race ended due to recurring brake issues that plagued his team all weekend. Stroll and Leclerc both hit the barriers in the same spot on the circuit.

Sainz’s race fell apart after the restart when he collided with Hulkenberg and Colapinto, leaving Albon as the sole points scorer for Williams.

–IANS

hs/