Key events
The race resumes -lights out again
71/78 Antonelli seizes the lead, Hamilton in second, Russell third and the previous leader escapes, with Russell doing a blocking job. Hulkenberg moves up, and forces out a Williams in Sainz.
70/78 It will be a standing start. Antonelli says the track is “still broken up”. Will it have an effect? Russell is told he will get two laps and then have to serve his 20-second penalty.
Back underway at Monaco – Hamilton escapes penalty
69/78 They follow the safety car, Russell complaining that Hadjar is leaving massive gaps. Hamilton escapes previous safety car penalty, so the top two stand.
Lindblad has changed his tyres and will complete the race, all being well, without having to pit. The cars leave the pit lane for that standing start.
It will be a standing start. The drivers set off on a formation lap of sorts.
A reminder before the resumption, and with a few penalties to consider:
1. Antonelli
2. Hamilton
3. Hadjar
4. Russell
5. Gasly
6. Piastri
7. Lawson
8. Lindblad
9. Albon
10. Sainz
Race is set to restart just after 10 past. Hamilton is on his scooter and hands off the camera man as he returns to his Ferrari in his pink helmet.
Charles Leclerc speaks: “The brakes, it doesn’t help to have asphalt coming loose, the data speaks for itself. I would hate to see myself looking for excuses. I’m not going to take any of it today. There’s something in those brakes. I had no rear brakes at all. This is what I am dealing with for two races….an absolute nightmare, I don’t have much words…I look like an idiot. It’s borderline dangerous.”
He suggests Hamilton’s configuration of his Ferrari’s brakes is different and he asks for “consistency”. Hamilton meanwhile is facing a safety car penalty. The stewards’ in-tray grows and grows.
George Russell has stormed into the FIA office to plead his case. Will this make his situation worse? The stewards have had a busy day, and it may well get busier.
Footage of Russell failing to serve that penalty: “what am I doing?” Seems like there’s been confusion, and he’s been damned by the position of his car in the pit lane. Antonelli meanwhile takes on fluids.
Russell handed drive-through penalty
He is punished for not serving out his previous penalty. It’s likely to leave him 20 seconds down. He’s not happy, and is storming into the garage. The upshot is him finishing out of the points, and Antonelli becoming runaway leader.
Lance Stroll speaks about his crash: “I don’t think it’s the asphalt. We’ve had engine braking issues all year. I think it’s coincidence.”
He’s perhaps not abreast of the facts.
There’s a resumption order in place, and that means we will get back underway. When? Soon enough, let’s hope.
Pierre Gasly is raging at his five-second penalty.
The drivers are towelling down after their efforts. They await a decision. The track looks to have broken up, the tarmac lying on the side of the road are causing the tyres to lose grip, chunks forcing a lock. A look at both Stroll’s and Leclerc’s crashes confirm that. The stewards are trying to repair the track. Workmen required, and the stewards have the brushes out. Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a Monaco resident, is pictured looking down on the damage.
The cars return to the pits and we await a decision on whether the race continues. If it does return, we are down to a 10-lap race. Antonelli is out of the car. The race surface is being checked on that final bend. The asphalt, the marble, is the problem.
Race is red flagged…race suspended
68/78 Russell is noted for failing to serve his penalty. That final bend, where Stroll and Leclerc crashed, has become treacherous. Is that the reason for the red flag being waved?
67/78 Leclerc says: “I am not taking the blame for that.” His crash places Hadjar in third. His crash happened in the same place as Stroll, and at the same speed of 46/47 mph. Leclerc is raging.
Safety car gone – Leclerc crashes – safety car back
66/78 Oh dear, and as the restart begins, Leclerc smashes into the barrier, losing it on a piece of tarmac.
65/78 Russell is asking about his penalty, some confusion reigning. His team’s response seems vague. Someone’s made a miscalculation. “I just need to know,” says Russell, who gets to be reacquainted with the back end of Hadjar.
64/78 We await the restart, and to see if Kimi Antonelli can get away from Hamilton and Leclerc on the soft tyres. His previous gap was 29 seconds but now we are back to, if not square one, then the previous race order.
63/78 The Aston Martin is taking a while to shift, as Stroll lost it on the bend, smashing into the barrier. The lapped cars are allowed to unlap themselves. Leclerc not happy with his team, not understanding why he is pitting. Russell didn’t serve his penalty in the pit lane, and didn’t serve it, so will get another one. Not a good day for George.
62/78 Leclerc asks: “Why the hell are we pitting?” Antonelli will go into the pit lane, and get a new set of tyres. There’s a hitch with the tyres but Antonelli will still lead.
Safety car called
61/78 Stroll comes to a halt on a corner, a yellow flag goes up. The pit crews are called into action. Piastri and Hamilton pit. Hamilton serves his five-second penalty.
60/78 Leclerc got a little too close to the barrier, sparks flying when his front left wheel grazes the metal. He checks his steering to see if any damage done.
59/78 Albon and Sainz carry out a planned swap. They await that Lindblad pit.
58/78 Russell has been lapped, meaning only Antonelli, Hamilton and Leclerc remain on the lead lap. Antonelli is 28 seconds clear.
57/78 Uh oh? Antonelli is complaining “there’s something wrong with my engine going up the hill.” His team tell him to forget setting fastest laps.
56/78 Piastri gets the five-second penalty. He was told by his team to be careful and it still happened.
55/78 Sainz pits, and comes out in 10th, and they await Lindblad’s pitting to claim ninth and 10th. Piastri is the next, the fifth, to be investigated for speeding in the pit lane. Something’s afoot?
54/78 Not much fun for George Russell out there, as Antonelli is closing on lapping him. Lance Stroll, second-last, is another looking at a five-second FIA penalty.
53/78 Pierre Gasly is the latest to get a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. He’s in seventh.
52/78 A battle between Leclerc and Hamilton. The local lad is under five seconds behind his fellow Ferrari, and with a penalty booked in, he’s in virtual second place.
51/78 Antonelli is told to calm it down and wait for a safety car change to swap tyres.
50/78 The Williams strategy didn’t work, as Arvin Lindblad in Racing Bulls overtakes. Though he still needs to pit so Albon will take the place back.
49/78 Albon isn’t happy. “I don’t get it.” He’s having to drive like an OAP over Snake Pass.
48/78 Norris: “Something’s wrong, I’ve got no battery.” He had been passed already by Russell. Albon sets about his task of blocking, like a tractor down a country lane.
47/78 That’s two successive retirements for Norris. Sainz and Albon are asked to swap places such that Albon does a blocking job to preserve two top-10 places for Williams.
Norris retires
46/78 McLaren give up the ghost as his team tell him power problem will not be fixed, so that’s the fourth driver out. That takes Russell up to sixth, though he also faces another penalty.
