• Narration and classifications This is how we tell you about the race

With his hands stiff from tension and his jaw still rigid,

Carlos Sainz

got out of his Ferrari for the third and last time.

The sand in the Monte Carlo clock, exhausted after three hours of surprises on the Côte d'Azur, made his crusade useless, which led to his tenth podium finish.

Sergio Pérez

, on the back of his Red Bull, had sneaked into that party that seemed designed for Ferrari.

And, more specifically, for

Charles Leclerc

, who ruminated loudly and silently on his anger with the Italian team.

He didn't even take off his helmet when he reached the finish line.

From the chaos caused by the rain, and from that sharp game of mus in the pits, the Mexican broke in, scoring the third victory of his career.

Sainz was left with the desire, who showed courage, but lacked fortune.

At least

Max Verstappen

, recorded in his rearview mirror, and more leader of the World Cup, did not manage to scare him.

Fernando Alonso finished seventh, his best position of the season.

As the dedicated public of Monte Carlo was not in a hurry, everything that was happening, prolonging Sunday, his Sunday, to the limit, felt great.

Zinedine Zidane

was also around

, who the night before had experienced Madrid's 14th European Cup live at the Stade de France in Paris.

Another very different thing is what they thought down there, at the foot of the track, the 20 drivers on the grid, who got on and off the car in the face of adversity.

They, with their arms crossed in the garages, awaited the decisions.

Some (many) could not understand why the race was not resumed.

Formula 1 today does not want risks.

Because at about 3:00 p.m., the Monaco sky shattered.

Rain was expected, yes, but perhaps not such a downpour.

The rain watered that luxurious corner of the Côte d'Azur, where Charles Leclerc

was born and raised

.

On that first lap after the safety car, before the race was stopped for about an hour by the deluge, he never believed that things would get twisted (and twisted) for him to the point of launching a scream on the radio against his own team. .

Fate is always capricious and the Monegasque pilot, who is still unable to be a prophet in his land, brought him a whole range of misfortunes, which he had no choice but to digest in the heat of his own anger.

His curse at his house finds no consolation.

The race resumed after 4:00 p.m., after the

safety car

.

Some cars danced on that city asphalt, which hides a double edge.

Leclerc, who seemed destined to make a good pole, the second consecutive in Monte Carlo, was taken away by the demons when Ferrari called him to the garage, two laps (21) after having put on the intermediate tires.

Carlos Sainz, patient, opted for the hard ones and the Scuderia also backed down with Leclerc, who exploded in his cockpit.

At times, it seemed that the move would elevate Sainz, but it ended up being a deadly trap for Ferrari, which would deliver the victory to Sergio Pérez, ambushed in that brush of drivers where everyone looked at his teammate Verstappen, leader of the championship.

A double hindered that play by the Spanish that seemed like a teacher.

Mick Schumacher's accident

The Mexican remained firm, in search of the third victory of his career.

This, without a doubt, the most special, on the same asphalt where he had one of the biggest scares of his life, in his first season in Formula 1 (2011), with Sauber.

He adjusted his hard tires in time, despite Sainz's desperate attempt to get his hands on him.

The tire temperature difference did not scare him.

Nor the tremendous accident of

Mick Schumacher

, on lap 27, which split his Haas in two, at the height of the pool.

The Kaiser

's son

, now safe, looked astonished and incredulous at the state of his car.

Three laps later, a new red flag again dismounted the drivers from their cars.

With so much and so long interruption, the grand prix could not complete the 77 laps and stayed at 64. The clock ran against him from that first downpour.

He also did it against Sainz, who again stayed at the gates of victory, just like a year ago, when Verstappen blocked the gates of heaven.

This time it was

Checo Pérez

, whom he has known so well for so many years, who separated him from his first victory.

Carlos finished with clenched fangs and the rearview mirror fuming at the threat of Verstappen.

The suffering of the Mexican, with the tires at the limit, led to catharsis for Red Bull.

And, also, in a good heat for Leclerc.

Oblivious to all these battles was

Fernando Alonso

who, however, completed his best race of the season, finishing in seventh position.

His Alpine was never able to lay hands on

Norris

's McLaren , but neither was he threatened by

Hamilton

's Mercedes .

It was the summary of an eternal three-hour afternoon at the Monte Carlo amusement park.

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