Monte-Carlo (Principality of Monaco) (AFP)
Emotional lift in Monaco: Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who was to start from pole position Sunday at the Formula 1 Grand Prix, finally had to retire even before the start due to a technical problem.
It is therefore Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who started in front, for the fifth round of the season.
The Dutchman is 2nd in the world ranking behind the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), who started in 6th place and who held this rank in the first laps of the circuit.
On Saturday, Leclerc qualified first but damaged his Ferrari's gearbox.
"Charles will not start the race due to a problem with the left driveshaft, which cannot be repaired in time for the start of the race," said Ferrari in the final minutes of preparation.
The 23-year-old had signed his first pole position this season, the eighth of his career.
But in the last seconds of qualifying, he made a mistake in the corner of the Pool, in the port of the Principality, and had seriously damaged his car.
Already Saturday evening, the driver was not calm: "the wait is endless", he said, not managing to savor his performance and waiting to see if his mechanics would be able to repair his car.
- "No, no, no no ..." -
However, Saturday evening then Sunday noon, the team had said that it would start from pole position, the car having no "apparent damage".
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It was not until the first warm-up laps to realize the obvious: the Monegasque was not going to be able to leave.
"No, no, no no ... The gearbox guys (in French: the gearbox, guys)", he said annoyed to his team via radio communication, before returning to the pits to never get out.
"There things are a little better, I had time to calm down, it is true that I was very emotional in the car", he added a little later to the microphone of Canal +.
"It's difficult, the mechanics did absolutely everything to believe in this victory. It's a problem on the left rear of the car, not where we did not hit, and it was not a problem of gearbox this time, "he said, adding that he was" sure there is a link with the accident ".
For the return of the Monaco Grand Prix after a cancellation in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Leclerc was only able to position himself on the starting grid during the official ceremony, where Prince Albert slipped him a few words of support.
A real blow for the public, won over to its cause in the stands, with 7,500 spectators (or 40% of the total capacity) expected at most because of the health situation.
At home, the Monegasque has always had to give up since 2017 after technical problems or clashes, whether in F2 in 2017 or in F1 in 2018 (with Sauber) then in 2019, for his first season with Ferrari.
"Again, not to finish ... and there I did not even start, it is not easy", he breathed.
Leclerc was before the race 5th in a standings dominated by Hamilton, who was 14 points ahead of Verstappen.
© 2021 AFP