Charles Leclerc will start Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix from sixth position following a post-qualifying investigation for impeding.
Leclerc qualified in third, behind Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, but was investigated after allegedly baulking McLaren’s Lando Norris through the tunnel.
Stewards deemed that Leclerc “clearly impeded” Norris in the middle of the tunnel on the McLaren driver’s final Q3 effort.
“Both drivers agreed that there was little that Leclerc could have safely done in the tunnel to avoid impeding Norris, given the difficulty in vision due to the light entering and in the tunnel and the change of lines from one side of the tunnel to the other,” read the report.
“In fact, the Stewards observed that Leclerc reacted in a sensible way to a blue flag displayed by the marshals, but at this point it was too late.
“However, the Stewards reviewed team radio, and Leclerc’s team failed to give him any warning about Norris’ approach until Norris was already directly behind him.
“Further, the discussion during the preceding portion of the track was entirely about competing drivers, not the traffic behind, which is a critical task at this track.
“The Stewards believe that there is much that Leclerc could have done prior to the tunnel to avoid the impeding had he received warning from the team at an appropriate time, especially considering that Norris’ approach was clear on the marshalling system.”
Leclerc will consequently drop to sixth place on the grid, elevating Esteban Ocon to third, Carlos Sainz to fourth and Lewis Hamilton to fifth.
