Home hero Charles Leclerc triumphs in Monaco Grand Prix for Ferrari

Hometown hero Charles Leclerc ended his Monaco curse by winning a processional race that Max Verstappen claimed was “so boring” he wish he had “brought my pillow”.

After near-misses in 2021 and 2022, Leclerc kept McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at bay to take his first victory on home soil and reduce the championship gap to Verstappen to 31 points.

Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz finished third, one place ahead of British driver Lando Norris.

George Russell crossed the line in fifth for Mercedes with Verstappen sixth and Lewis Hamilton seventh. The top 10 finished in the same order they started.

“No words can explain that,” said Leclerc. “It is such a difficult race, and the fact that twice I have started on pole, and we couldn’t do it, makes this even better.

“It means a lot. It is the race that made me dream of being an F1 driver one day.

“It was a difficult race emotionally because 15 laps form the end you are hoping nothing happens and the emotions started.”

Leclerc, whose father Herve died in 2017, added: “I was thinking about my dad when I was driving. He gave everything for me to be here. It was a dream of ours for me to race here so to win it is unbelievable.”

Let the celebrations begin