Monaco Grand Prix – Leclerc finally abandons before the start
Charles Leclerc returned to the pit lane at a slow pace during his installation lap. The Ferrari driver loses the benefit of his pole position and retires before the start of the Monaco Grand Prix!
Last-minute disaster for Charles Leclerc! The Monegasque driver is caught by the reliability of his SF21, after his crash this Saturday in Q3 at the exit of the Piscine esses.
A transmission issue
With 40 minutes to go before the start, the poleman completed his installation lap at reduced speed, complaining several times about the condition of his car. Beyond the gearbox, the driveshaft was the issue. The Scuderia tried not to change the gearbox to avoid a 5-place grid penalty. However, the Italian team had indicated this Sunday morning that there were “no defects” on car #16 after a thorough inspection. Bet lost!
It’s abandonment for Leclerc!
In the end, Leclerc did not reach his position before the deadline, 30 minutes before the start. The Monegasque driver retired, without even starting the Grand Prix! The starting grid is cleared up top, with Max Verstappen starting ahead of everyone from the 2nd position. The Red Bull driver led at the start ahead of the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.
Charles Leclerc continues his bad streak in Monaco in Formula 1: three retirements in three participations (2018, 2019, and now 2021).
