Charles Leclerc Crash Sparks Early Monaco GP Red Flag

Charles Leclerc’s home Grand Prix weekend in Monaco got off to a rough start when an early collision brought the first practice session to a halt. Just nine minutes into Free Practice 1, Leclerc made contact with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin at the famous Grand Hotel hairpin.

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The crash scattered debris across the circuit and forced the stewards to wave the red flag so marshals could clear the track for the rest of the field. The incident happened as Stroll rejoined the racing line after moving aside for Kimi Antonelli, who was coming through.

Stroll did not hear a radio warning from his engineer about Leclerc closing quickly from behind, which led to the Ferrari driver hitting the Aston Martin’s rear. As a result, Leclerc suffered notable damage to his front wing and floor, while Stroll’s car sustained a broken diffuser.

Both drivers had to return to the pits for repairs, and the session was stopped for several minutes while officials made sure the surface was safe. It was not the smoothest start for Leclerc in front of his home fans.

Even before the collision, he ended up at the Mirabeau escape road on his out lap, showing how tricky the legendary Monaco street circuit can be. Following the accident, both drivers’ teams worked intensely to fix the damage and get their cars back on track as soon as possible.

Early incidents in Monaco are costly since the narrow streets offer little margin for error and every minute of practice counts. The practice stoppage marked the first major headline of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend and set the tone for what could be an unpredictable event.

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Both Leclerc and Stroll have points to prove this season, with Leclerc currently sitting fifth in the drivers’ standings with 61 points for Ferrari. Stroll, after the damage, looked to recover valuable practice time on a weekend where every lap around the Monte Carlo circuit is critical.

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris continue to lead the championship with McLaren’s drivers on 146 and 133 points respectively, while Max Verstappen holds third with 124. Multiple teams are focused on upgrades for Monaco, hoping to master the slow corners and bumpy surface.

Red Bull and McLaren in particular have stepped up their development, while Mercedes and Ferrari continue their push for consistency. Off track, fans are closely watching how drivers like George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will adapt to the circuit, with both aiming to boost their teams’ points totals as the 2025 Formula 1 season heats up.

The schedule for the 2025 Formula 1 season remains packed, with Monaco followed by stops in Spain, Canada, Austria, and more. As always, every practice session and data point matters, especially on a street circuit where qualifying near the front is almost as important as race pace.

With the Monaco Grand Prix shaping up to be as dramatic as ever, drivers and teams are under pressure to make every moment on track count. Once the track was clear, practice resumed and attention turned to the rest of the session’s running.

Leclerc and Stroll’s teams assessed the damage and planned next steps, hoping the early setback would not impact their preparations for qualifying and race day in the heart of Monte Carlo.

James William

James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.