Monte Carlo, May 26 (IANS) Scuderia Ferrari Charles Leclerc won his first Monaco Grand Prix on home soil beating McLaren Oscar Piastri in the second position after a huge crash on the opening lap which saw the race stopped, here at the Circuit de Monaco on Sunday.

Oscar Piastri of McLaren put up an early fight, but Leclerc overcame it to win for the first time since July 2022. Carlos Sainz, his Ferrari teammate, finished third, while Lando Norris finished fourth.

Max Verstappen's championship lead over Leclerc is now down to 31 points as a result of having to settle for sixth place, between George Russell's Mercedes in fifth and Lewis Hamilton's in seventh. Due to a significant crash involving Kevin Magnussen, Sergio Perez, and Nico Hulkenberg exiting Turn One, the race was red-flagged on the first lap. Despite the high-speed collision, none of the three drivers were injured.

Yuki Tsunoda scored points for a third consecutive race with eighth place, ahead of Alex Albon, who gave Williams their first points of the season, and Alpine's Pierre Gasly finishing in 10th.

After a huge crash on the first lap, all three drivers—Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hulkenberg—were forced to watch the majority of the Monaco Grand Prix from the sidelines.

After an unexpected Q1 exit, Perez began Sunday's race out of position. Magnussen and Hulkenberg, on the other hand, had lined up at the back of the grid after being disqualified from qualifying due to a rear wing breach, thus they started the race together at Sainte Devote.

Top 10:

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

9. Alex Albon (Williams)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)