Max Verstappen backed for Monaco victory but warned 'qualifying is everything'

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen dropped a retirement bombshell before Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix. The Dutch driver won his maiden world title last year, pipping Lewis Hamilton to the Drivers' Championship in controversial fashion in Abu Dhabi in December.

LIVE – Updated at 17:55Sergio Perez has extended his Red Bull contract to 2024 after triumphing in a chaotic and thrilling Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, when Charles Leclerc’s dreams of winning on home soil were shattered by his flat-footed Ferrari team. Leclerc navigated a rain-hit start – delayed by more than an hour following a deluge of rain just a dozen minutes before the lights were due to go out on Formula 1’s most famous race – to control the early stages. But the Monegasque’s race fell apart when Ferrari’s strategy was exposed by Red Bull.

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst is taking some well earned time off, stopping off at the Monaco Grand Prix on his travels.

Charles Leclerc had a printed map of the Monaco circuit in his cockpit for the Grand Prix.

Geri Horner and her husband Christian recently celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary – and it's clear the couple are more loved-up than ever.MORE: Geri Horner posts cheeky video from her beautiful farmhouse - and husband Christian's reaction is pricelessThe Spice Girls star tied the knot with Christian – the Team Principle of the Red Bull Formula One racing team – on 15 May 2015 in Woburn, Bedfordshire. And judging by Geri's latest snapshot, they are still head over heels.

Naomi Campbell and Heidi Klum are among the stars who flocked to Monaco for the Grand Prix this weekend, and they of course looked chic in the process. Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were among the racers taking part in the Formula One event, but it was Mexican driver Sergio Perez who won on Sunday afternoon. The gripping race was watched by an A-list audience with supermodel Naomi, 52, arriving in a grey maxi dress, under which she went braless, teamed with grey Nike dunks. She was seen on the arm of billionaire businessman Ernesto Bertarelli after earlier relaxing on Sir Phillip Green’s superyacht Lionheart with her baby daughter. Fellow supermodel Heidi attended the event with her husband Tom Kaulitz, and stood out in a pink floral blouse and matching trousers while her other half matched her vibe wearing a striped shirt which he left unbuttoned.

Red Bull driver claimed his first win of the 2022 Formula One season in Monaco as he crossed the line ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and reigning champion Max Verstappen.

Ferrari team that they 'cannot do that' after his woes in his home Grand Prix in Monaco continued.The Ferrari ace held pole position for the second year in a row but headed in 2022 with a sorry record of never finishing a race in the French principality throughout his racing career and, while that run would end, there was still further disappointment in Monte Carlo.Rain led to a delayed start and a change in race strategy across the grid, with Ferrari making the first move in the pits to change to dry tyres after calling both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz into the pit at the same time.Leclerc came in after his teammate but, immediately after his entry to the pit lane, was told to stay out but the message came too late and Red Bull capitalised, performing an undercut to see Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen gaining places.Ferrari were unable to overhaul their rivals, with Leclerc suffering the pain of not securing a podium finish despite his pole position on the grid as he came home fourth - with Perez winning, Sainz coming in second and Verstappen third. Leclerc could not hide his disappointment following a weekend where he will have hoped to achieve a lot more and it was clear that he points the finger of blame towards his team."No words, no words.

Max Verstappen avoided a penalty in the Monaco Grand Prix for what appeared to be a clear infringement.The race in Monte Carlo was full of drama from start to finish, with the beginning of the race delayed due to heavy rain before eventually starting behind the safety car - and further drama was to follow.Ferrari, who started with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in first and second on the grid, held the lead in the race but were caught out by a Red Bull overcut in the pits.Leclerc was left furious with the pit call, screaming at his team over team radio, and, when Verstappen pitted later on, came out behind his title rival.However, pictures from the defending champion when he exited the pit lane appeared to show that he had crossed the yellow line and should have been handed what should have been a penalty for a rather obvious infringement.Race officials did not take any action against the championship leader, however, and it left many fans on social media scratching their heads - with @Julio_ziviani declaring: "Verstappen not investigated in his box exit.

Charles Leclerc was fuming at his team following their pit decision in a dramatic Formula One Grand Prix in Monaco.

Max Verstappen has slammed his teammate Sergio Perez for his 'irritating' crash in Monaco qualifying and has suggested that drivers could use foul play to force a red flag in sessions. Saturday's qualifying session came to a premature end following a chaotic sequence of events in the final minute that saw three cars crash, with Perez losing control of his rear end in the final corner before the tunnel section and Carlos Sainz then did the same, hitting the stationary Red Bull.Elsewhere on the track, Alpine's Fernando Alonso put his car in the wall and the red flags were waved, denying Verstappen another lap and an opportunity to potentially improve on his fourth-place start for Sunday's race.That meant it was the second year in a row that the Monaco qualifying session has been brought to a close with a red flag, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashing out last year - and his crash ensured he'd start on pole, though he ended up unable to start the race.Verstappen has suggested that drivers could utilise that tactic to preserve their ranking in the session, as there isn't any punishment for crashing out.“It is irritating and a pity of course that the one who put it in the wall was my teammate.

Conor McGregor has declared that 'something special is brewing' in the latest round of Formula One action in Monaco. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is on pole for Sunday's race following a chaotic qualifying session that saw Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso all crash in the final minute.Two of the three rounds of qualifying were affected by a red flag and, with rain forecast for Monte Carlo on Sunday, it's set to be a thrilling contest as Leclerc resumes his battle for the title with Red Bull's Max Verstappen.The defending champion currently holds a narrow six-point lead over Leclerc in the standings but has struggled for pace across the Monaco weekend, sitting fourth on the grid for the race and being unable to match the pace shown by the Ferrari duo and teammate Perez.With the vast majority of Monaco winners coming from pole position, Leclerc is firmly placed as the favourite in his home Grand Prix but the rain will add a further challenge to the proceedings and McGregor believes that fans will see 'something special' in the French principality from an unlikely source."I'm here for Team Haas and I'm more confident after today's qualifying round.

F1 drivers live in Monaco? With its beautiful scenery, luxurious location and temperate climate, there are more than a few reasons why the great and good of motorsport, including Lewis Hamilton, might decide to base themselves in the stunning French principality. But there's one three letter word that probably matters above all else when considering the lure of Monaco. And that word is 'tax.' Monaco has extremely favourable tax laws, to put it mildly.

JUST IN: FIA make late rule tweak ahead of Monaco GP after Max Verstappen investigation dramaRicciardo qualified 14th for the Monaco GP earlier today, which came after suffering a dramatic crash in Friday's second practice session. The eight-time race winner suggested that the setup experiments the team had gone for were perhaps a little too much. "It happens quickly but.

Formula One legend - but fans might be surprised to learn of his mega net worth.The driver-turned-commentator made his debut in the sport nearly 40 years ago, during which time he has built up a tidy fortune. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has $100million (£79m) to his name.That's more than YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul ($60m/£47m), England captain Harry Kane ($40m/£31m) and F1 championship leader Max Verstappen ($60m/£47m).

Charles Leclerc should be handed a 'drastic' punishment after the Ferrari driver missed the FIA weighbridge during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.In his home Grand Prix, Leclerc secured pole position for the second year in a row following a chaotic qualifying that ended prematurely after three cars crashed in the final minute of the session.Sergio Perez lost control of his Red Bull in the final corner before the tunnel section in Monaco, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz then hitting him while he was stationary - and Alpine's Fernando Alonso hit the barrier elsewhere on the circuit.While Leclerc has predominantly been the fastest across the weekend, it wasn't a day without incident for the championship hopeful as he missed a message ordering him to attend the FIA weighbridge during Q2 and had to be pushed back by his Ferrari team.Leclerc would have been handed a significant punishment had he made his way to the Ferrari garage, with previous infringements seeing drivers start the race in the pit lane, but he escaped such punishment after the quick action from his team.However, Marko believes that shouldn't have been the case and that Leclerc should have been issued a 'drastic' punishment when speaking to Austrian outlet ORF, saying: "If you punish this consistently, as you do in the junior classes, then there will be a drastic penalty."He drove by. They didn't change the car, but according to the regulations, it should be a penalty.

Christian Horner called Sky Sports commentator David Croft out live on air following a boozy night out in Monaco on Friday evening.The glitz and glamour of Monaco take centre stage in Formula One this weekend with the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, which saw a frantic few days kick-off on Friday with two practice sessions.It seems all the fun didn't stop at the end of the second practice session however, where Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fastest, as Croft took in the fun of Monaco by attending a party at the Red Bull energy station.Croft may have hoped to have kept his antics under wraps from the general public but was not afforded that luxury as Horner threw him under the bus at the start of the third and final practice session on Saturday.Horner joined Sky Sports' coverage from the pit wall and was asked how his team's drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, were feeling on the track with the modern era of Formula One cars appearing to pick up every bump that is present on the street circuit.However, Horner quickly diverted the conversation to the Friday night antics of the Sky Sports commentator and lifted the lid on what sounded like an entertaining night out in Monte Carlo."Good afternoon. Before we get into all of that, how are you feeling? I gather that Crofty goes large in Monaco last night on the Red Bull energy station.

Charles Leclerc took pole for Ferrari after his own crash in 2021 brought an early end to the qualifying session but this year saw even more chaos, with three cars involved in accidents in the final minute of the session.Red Bull's Sergio Perez lost control and spun in the final corner before the tunnel section of the Monaco Grand Prix, hitting the barriers rear-end first and potentially damaging his rear box - with Carlos Sainz then involved in a similar incident seconds later that saw the Ferrari collide with the stationary Red Bull.That puts the Spaniard at risk of a reprimand as it's unclear whether he noticed yellow flags being waved and whether he went too fast under caution, which would result in a 10-place grid penalty after already being issued three reprimands this season.Elsewhere on the track, there was more drama in the final minute of qualifying as there was another accident that would have likely resulted in the session being ended prematurely.Alpine's Fernando Alonso went head-on into the barrier at Mirabeau in a frantic period of events in Monte Carlo, which is widely renowned for being extremely difficult to race around due to the extremely narrow circuit and wide Formula One cars.Leclerc sits alongside teammate Sainz on the front row of the grid, though that could change with a penalty, with Red Bull pair Perez and Max Verstappen on the second row - with the latter not quite finding the pace he would have liked in the session.HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Carlos Sainz be reprimanded following his crash? Comment below.Verstappen currently has a narrow six-point lead in the hunt for the championship following three consecutive victories in Imola, Miami and Barcelona, though it's Leclerc's Ferrari that seems to

Formula One driver Martin Brundle has recalled a remarkable story that led to him being 'sent home' from a Monaco Grand Prix after missing a weigh bridge. F1 officials regularly call cars and their drivers to be weighed in the pit lane during qualifying sessions, to ensure they are not breaching the strict regulations, and significant penalties can be issued if a driver doesn't adhere to the instructions.

LIVE – Updated at 18:18Catch up with the action and the latest Formula One news from the Monaco Grand Prix after the opening day of practice at the iconic circuit in Monte Carlo. The sight of Formula One cars sweeping their way through the Monte Carlo streets is one of the finest in motorsport and it is set to be an important weekend in the title race as defending champion Max Verstappen looks to increase the pressure on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will be aiming to deliver glory at his home circuit.

Erling Haaland’s transfer to Manchester City is one of the Premier League’s major talking points ahead of next season.The 21-year-old sensation landed at Manchester Airport on Tuesday to finalise formalities ahead of his £51million move from Borussia Dortmund after months of speculation. And it only made sense that he arrived in style.