Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix was supposed to answer the question of whether Charles Leclerc was truly the favourite in his first title fight. Ferrari’s Monegasque raced at its own circuit and took fifth pole position in seven races. Second in the standings, partner Charles Carlos Sainz, third – Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, reigning champion Max Verstappen initially took only fourth place, and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton – eighth.
The start of the race was delayed several times due to rain. As a result, the fireballs followed the safety vehicle and entered the battle more than an hour later than planned. It’s not very spectacular, but it’s safe. The start of the race took place on a dry track. Elastic tactics came to the fore when it was thought that overtaking was almost impossible in Monaco. Over time, it was necessary to replace rain tires with medium or classic tires.
“Red Bull” once again worked well and picked the right time for the pit stop. And at Ferrari, engineers once again framed their racers. But it all started quietly. Verstappen and Leclerc pitted simultaneously, making it impossible for Max to overtake a direct opponent in the title fight. And then unimaginable things were created in the Italian team. Leclerc was called back into the pit lane, after which the request was cancelled, but Charles already heard about it the moment he got to the pit lane. Under the mat, rider’s shouting and other signs of anger dropped from first place to fourth place. On a difficult road.
In the middle of the race, Mick Schumacher of Haas had a terrible accident: his car literally crashed in half. Fans and other pilots were frightened when they saw the terrible picture, but all was well for the driver. Until now, the son of the F-1 legend has not adapted in any way to the main racing championship of the planet – 0 points in a season and a half.
Almost nothing happened on the track after the reboot. At the same time, the Russian Cup final, which took place in Luzhniki, looked much more interesting. The fireballs did not change their places after the restart and completed in the following order: Perez, Sainz, Vertappen, Leclerc. For Charles, the error of the engineers was decisive. But there is also a spoonful of honey. Leclerc reached the finish line for the first time in his career at home. It had four meetings before that, and once upon a time Monegasque never started.
In the overall standings, Verstappen has left Leclerc, but everything is still very tight. And we can safely say that after this stage we have three contenders for the title at once – Perez approached Charles from a distance of six points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull is 36 points ahead of Ferrari.
Monaco Grand Prix. Results 1. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 78 laps 2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +1.154 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.491 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +2.922 5. George Russell (Mercedes) +11.968 6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +12.231 7. Fernando Alonso (Alpin) +46.358 8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +50,388 9. Esteban Ocon (Alpin) +55,644 10. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) +52.525 11. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) +53,536 12. Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) +54,289 13. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +57,635 14. Lance Ride (Aston Martin) +1:00.802 15. Nicholas Latifi (Williams) +1 lap 16. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) +1 round 17. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) +1 lap 18. Alex Albon (Williams) – DNF (52nd round) 19. Mick Schumacher (Haas) – DNF (Round 27) 20. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) – DNF (22nd round)
Drivers’ position in the championship after the Monaco Grand Prix 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 125 points 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 116 3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 110 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 84 5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 83 6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 50 7. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 48 8. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) – 40 9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) – 30 10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) – 15 11. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) – 11 12. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) – 11 13. Fernando Alonso (Alpin) – 10 14. Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) – 6 15. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) – 5 16. Alex Albon (Williams) – 3 17. Lance Ride (Aston Martin) – 2 18. Zhou Guanyu (Alpha Romeo) – 1 19. Mick Schumacher (Haas) – 0 20. Nico Hulkenberg (Aston Martin) – 0 21. Nicholas Latifi (Williams) – 0
Position of teams in the Constructors’ Championship 1. Red Bull – 235 points 2. Ferrari – 199 3. “Mercedes” – 134 4. McLaren – 59 5. Alfa Romeo – 41 6. Alpine – 40 7. Alpha Taurus – 17 8. Haas – 15 9. Aston Martin – 7 10. Williams – 3
🏆🏆🏆 Spartak won the Cup! Do you remember who the red-whites beat in the final except Dynamo? Play this game and test yourself!
I am a sports writer and journalist who has written for various online publications including Sportish. I’m originally from the UK but currently live in Toronto, Canada. I’m also an author on Sportish and have written several articles on a variety of sports-related topics.
2025 Alex Parow It’s almost perfect. You can’t ask for more from a Catalan pilot. It’s a perfect example of how success can go beyond F1. The Sant Antoni de Vilamajor native achieved his third successive IndyCar title and fourth title in five years.
He achieved this with an overwhelming advantage over others. Win 8 of the 17 races that make up the entire calendar. With five wins from the first six races, the season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Three others then arrived and he finished the year with five more podiums. In total he scored 711 points, 196 more than second place in the contest, Pato O’Ward.
He was two wins shy of the single-season wins record held by AJ Foyt from the 1964 season, and one of nine achieved by Mario Andretti, another great legend of the competition. However, yesHe became the third driver in history to win the most IndyCar titles. And he trails only Scott Dixon (5th) and AJ Foyt himself (7th). Additionally, he joins Ted Horn, Sébastien Bourdais and Dario Franchitti on the short list of drivers capable of winning a third straight race.
“It’s been round so far and I hope it stays that way and continues to improve. I think it’s getting better every year. After winning my first IndyCar title in 2021, I thought it was already round and complete, but it’s getting better every year, so I couldn’t be happier,” Palou assessed during a visit to the MD editorial office in early December.
500 miles is a bonus
At the end of a dream year, Palou I was able to win the legendary Indianapolis 500.a thorn that had stuck inside him since he came to the United States. Practically on American soil, winning this event is more important than the championship, and that was the only thing Alex lacked, the Catalan having yet to win on the oval. Fortunately, he managed to take it off his wishlist in May this year, giving it his all and reaching a milestone that no other Spaniard can boast of.
He is undoubtedly a real “sheriff” of Indy and a great reference in this field, which has already spread its fame throughout Spain and Europe thanks to the person of Palou who has achieved everything. Now all I have to do is continue to have fun and dream big.
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
among them Dakar 2026 there will be 113 Spanish participantsthen the second country with the most competitors. France (186) Each in a career pursuing their own dreams and adventures.
Cars/Ultimate
– 212: Cristina Grieres / Pablo Moreno, (Dacia), 1 title in Challenger, 2nd year in Queen class, 10th in Dakar
– 225: Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz, (Ford), 4 titles, 18th appearance
– 227: Nani Roma / Alex Haro, (Ford), 2 titles (1 motorcycle, 1 car), 28th appearance
– 232: Laia Sanz / Maurizio Gerini (Italy), (EBRO), 16th Dakar (5th by car after 11th by bike). Debuted in queen class T1+.
– 231: Ferran ‘Nandou’ Joubany / Marc Sola (MD), 2nd place in Dakar on motorcycle in 2018
– 233: Isidor Esteve / Chema Villalobos, (Repsol Toyota), 20th place in Dakar (10 cars, 10 motorcycles)
– 244: Jesus Calleja / Edu Blanco, (Santana Racing), 6th place in Dakar with car
– 266: Pedro Peñate / Dani Mesa, (TH-Trax), 9th place in Dakar, competed in motorcycle and three car categories (Ultimate, Challenger, SSV).
– 272: Jordi Torras/Santi Costa, (MD Rally Sports), 3rd place in Dakar, returns at age 65 after 36 years
Other Spanish co-pilots: Armando Monleón (Toby Price, 204 years old), Oriol Mena (Guy Botterill, 218 years old), Rosa Romero (María Gameiro, 248 years old).
– 920: Jose Manuel Salinero / Javier Benito (Guardia Civil Rally Raid), car: Mercedes 2644, Salinero competed in 11 editions with the car, the last in 2022
mission 1000 new energy truck
– 1004: Miguel Puertas (Arctic Leopard Galicia Team), Vehicle: Arctic Leopard EXE 880 Rally
– 1006: Francisco Jose Paras (Arctic Leopard Galicia Team), vehicle: Arctic Leopard EXE 880 Rally
– 1040: Jordi Giubanteny / Jose Luis Criado / Xavier Rivas, (KH7-ECOVERGY), Vehicle: MAN TGA
Sainz, Roma etc.
Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz They will try to make more history. In 2024, they became the first to win the Dakar in an electric car (Audi), setting a longevity record for champion Carlos at 61 years old, and both achieving it with four different brands, an unprecedented feat. now carlos I want to get my 5th win at 63 and raise my level.touareg‘With the fifth different brand and renewed Ford Nani Roma and his co-pilot, alex haloThey also admire everything. Nani has played a key role in the development of this car from the beginning. Raptor T1+ EVO more competitive Forgerol He will be aiming for his third title (after four-wheeled and two-wheeled) in his 29th Dakar.
As a member of Dacia’s “Dream Team”, Cristina Gutierrez wants to shine as part of the best team, aiming for a final top five and stage victory. meanwhile, Laia Sanz debuts as EBRO’s official pilot Top class car (4×4 T1+) and Isidor Esteve is committed to a better Toyota Hiluxthe same one that made Moraes world champion a few months ago. Jesus Calleja Cross the dunes as a pilot Santana and Nandu Jubanywhich won a podium in the two-wheel drive 4×2 category) will debut in 2025 and will aim for a class victory.
co-pilot Armand MonleonCurrent world champion Toby Price will be accompanying Toyota on its debut as an official driver. Oriol Mena could shine as Botterill’s co-driver, while Oriol Vidal will aim to win in the new stock category.
Jacopini’s co-driver, Dani Oliveras, was the best Spaniard in motoring, finishing seventh last year, and was hoping to improve further, but his driver suffered a serious accident just before the start of the Dakar, meaning Jacopini will not be on the starting line.
Challenger and SSV
Challenger (lightweight prototype) Pau Navarro aims for his first title in 2025 with a podium finish alongside his talented co-driver Jan Rosait comes from an overwhelming classic. In this category, non-flammable materials are joan font repeat with teamwork Oscar Lal create your own set, vertical motorsporthe hopes to join the ranks of the best and defend his current champion crown. Cabigliaso and Pertegarinihis friends.
In SSV (series derived light vehicle), Gerard Fares he is always among the best players pedrega team Despite facing public authorities with more resources and updated vehicles. The current champion of this class is Dakar Classic, Carlos SantaolallaDomingo Roman, Joan Piferer and Jose Maria Cami They will face the desert. among them dakar classicAfter the title of Santa Olala 2023 Champion in 2024 and 2025, Joan Morella and Lydia Lubaa class in which 11 crew members, together with a Spanish pilot or “copis”, aim to retrieve the scepter in a Porsche 959.
three big men on bikes
Tosha Chalayna from Valencia is a great talent in the Spanish motorcycle world, having crashed several times in the last Dakar but aiming for victory and coming in second place. It will also be uploaded edgar canet After achieving an amazing result of 8th place and victory in his debut race at the age of 19, he started working with KTM. rally 2. Your ceiling is unpredictable. lorenzo santorino He will continue to defend Sherco’s honor as he aims for a top-five finish, albeit hampered by a toe injury.
Of the purest kind, motul originalwithout assistance, Javi Vega and Josep Pedro They are vying for victory in the categories in which they also participate. Rashid Arral Rahadir, fernando Dominguez and debutante Borja Perez. in rally 2highlighting the premiere of Young Gem Arnau Jedalso with debutants Torres, Lastra, Zardoya, Lopez, Guillen.
Looking to the future
in Mission 1,000a class created for prototyping using renewable energy, KH-7 Ecovergy by Jordi Juvanteny, Jose Luís Criado, Xavier RibaIt will be the first hydrogen-electric hybrid truck in history. Francisco Gomez Paras, Esther Merino, Miguel Puertas They are uniting to promote electric bikes with the future goal of this type of vehicle competing with combustion bikes within a few years.
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
2025 campaign MotoGP It will be remembered as the greatest story ever told by a living hero. Marc MarquezAfter years of surfing on the crest of a wave, he fell into a bottomless pit after breaking his arm and undergoing re-operation, before taking flight again like a phoenix and completing “La Reconquista” with his arms around the MotoGP Champions Tower, winning his seventh crown in the top category and joining Rossi in second place on the all-time list and ninth overall.
From 2013 to 2019, he won six of the seven possible MotoGP championships, qualifying thoroughly. and In 2020, he hit rock bottom after a racing crash in Jerez. At that time, he made a wrong decision in forcing his comeback, resulting in a fracture in his right arm, which required four surgeries over two years.
After recovering from my last surgery, it was time to break with the past (Honda) and look for a winning bike (Ducati). First he found it (for free) in the previous year’s GP, Gresini Satellite Team, and based on his results and determination, he has already qualified for 2025 with the official Ducati team on a black bike.
And at the age of 32, his gamble to “put everything in the red” earned him 11 wins, 3 seconds and 3 seconds in GP races, adding to his 14 wins and 2 seconds in the sprint race at the 18th Grand Prix in which he competed. With five GPs remaining, he became the MotoGP champion for the seventh time. In the next race, he was thrown by Marco Bezzecchi and broke his right shoulder, so he was unable to break his record.
It was a perfect year for Marc Marquez, with Alex Marquez taking second place. The brothers achieved a 1-2 finish in the MotoGP championship and also became the first athletes to complete six doubles in the race. Marco Bezzecchi finished in the top three in the championship in his first year with Aprilia.
The big losers were the outgoing champions and runners-up. Number 1 Jorge Martin did not survive his first year in Aprilia due to an accident and chain injury. He missed another 14th GP finish in Japan on Sunday. His teammate since 1993, Pecco Bagnaia, was never competitive in GP25, and his ability has diminished.
In addition to Alex Marquez, rookies Fermin Aldeguer and Raul Fernández took home their first MotoGP honors. The Spaniard added 16 of his 22 wins in MotoGP. The 45 points scored in the three categories is the second highest in Spanish history, just two points shy of the 2013 record.
In Moto2 Diogo MoreiraThe Brazilian, who has trained in Spain since the age of 12, won the Moto3 title in a duel with Spaniard Manu González. Jose Antonio Rueda He took the crown thanks to his 10 wins, in which he and Noah Dettweiler were the protagonists of one of the most brutal accidents of the year. The Spanish team finished in the top five in the championship, adding 21 wins out of 22 (they missed the game at Sepang and went to their hometown). In the lower categories, Brian Uriarte had an explosive performance, winning the Junior Grand Prix and the Red Bull Rookies Cup.
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
