Sergio Perez wins Monaco GP

After a belated rain-affected start, early leader Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) was too slow in making his stop for intermediate tyres, allowing Perez – who started third – to get ahead.

The second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz went straight from wets to slicks but still rejoined behind Perez, whose bold tyre strategy paid off.

Leclerc could only finish fourth, after a panicked second pitstop for slicks, behind the second Red Bull of Max Verstappen.

2022 Monaco Grand Prix race results

How the Monaco Grand Prix unfolded

The race start was delayed due to a rain shower that soaked the famed streets, with formation laps taken behind the safety car on full wet tyres. But the rain intensified and a red flag was shown before the race had even started.

Almost an hour later, Leclerc held his pole advantage at the rolling start on Lap 3 ahead of Sainz, the two Ferraris ahead of the chasing Red Bulls of Perez and Verstappen.

With no more rain falling, the track was drying. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was an early adopter on intermediates and set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 6 as he set about moving his way up the order.

Perez pitted for inters on Lap 17, rejoining in fifth but lapping quickly in clear air. Leclerc and Verstappen pitted on Lap 19, the erstwhile leader Leclerc rejoining behind Perez – who now led the inter runners. Sainz stayed out up front, aiming to run his wets until he could change for slick tyres.

Esteban Ocon (Alpine) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) banged wheels over eighth place at Sainte Devote on Lap 18, Hamilton picking up some wing endplate damage. Ocon was given a 5s penalty for the clash.

Sainz pitted on Lap 22 for slicks and was followed in by his teammate Leclerc, making his second stop in an apparent panic on the Ferrari pitwall, allowing Perez and Verstappen to briefly run 1-2 on inters. The Red Bulls, wary of being stranded on the wrong tyres, stopped a lap later.

Perez rejoined in the lead, ahead of Sainz, with Verstappen (who had a…