ANTONELLI MAKES IT FIVE IN A ROW AMONGST THE MONACO MADNESS

Monaco, the race every driver wants to win. And a new name has been etched into the long history of one of the most famous races in the world. Kimi Antonelli made it look easy in a race that threw up so many challenges for all the drivers. A fifth straight win for the young Italian who now leads the championship by sixty six points to Lewis Hamilton who took his eighth podium in Monaco equalling the record held by Ayrton Senna. The final podium place was picked up by Red Bull's Isack Hadjar who may well lose his third place due to being under investigation for a red flag infringement.

A perfect start in a race where it matters most for pole sitter Kimi Antonelli as Max Verstappen stalls on the start and is forced to trundle around back the pits putting Hamilton and Leclerc into second and third. Isack Hadjar is fourth in the Red Bull and George Russell up to fifth.

As the lap counter hit two - Max Verstappen's Monaco race weekend was over as he is forced to retire from the race.

From the start this race became a race of reliability as several drivers were claimed by the infamous streets...

Eighteen laps in the Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas is the second retiree as more overheating issues plague car number seventy seven.

The third retirement came on lap thirty two with the Haas of Ollie Bearman is forced to retire after a dismal race for the young British driver, who had contact with his teammate on the opening lap.

By lap forty five it was four retirements as reigning World Champion Lando Norris is out with a suspected power unit failure.

It took its time but with just eighteen laps left in this race Monaco began malfunctioning as the tarmac on the entry to the final corner began ripping itself up and on lap sixty Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin crashes and brings out the first Safety Car of the afternoon. Lance says he crashed due to braking issues but then just five laps later home hero Charles Leclerc has an almost identical crash, both drivers believe it was their respective cars faults.

This of course brings out the second Safety Car, but for just two laps as the race is red flagged so the FIA can check over the track and sweep away the marbles.

This years race wasn't just about reliability but it was a race full of penalties and investigations as several drivers are caught out with speeding in the pit lane with several drivers being handed five second penalties including George Russell who during his first stop doesn't correctly serve his penalty and is therefore handed a drive through penalty to dash any hopes of points for a second weekend running.

So on lap seventy three Russell drops out of the points as he serves his drive through penalty.

The race gets going again on lap seventy when we go back to the beginning as its lights out after the restart - with Antonelli getting away well as he keeps his lead from Hamilton whose close behind in second.

All before Sainz is out after contact with Colapinto and Hulkenberg into the hairpin and is forced to pull over into the escape road to end his run of points finishes with the Williams team.

Its Kimi who is King of Monaco with five straight wins and his chances of becoming a World Champion get ever closer. A simply generational talent.

The next race is the Spanish Grand Prix.

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