International media critical of Verstappen: 'Has no balls'

Spain's Marca saw Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris finish the race on hard tyres. "They kept an F3 pace all afternoon, several seconds slower than last year even. Overtaking is already difficult in Monaco, but with these long F1 cars it is almost impossible, just like in Imola or Singapore. Unless the cars get a metre shorter in future regulations, there will be three races a year that are decided on Saturday and where on Sunday you can only pray for others to break down."

The newspaper goes on to be somewhat critical of Max Verstappen. "But it was no excuse or extenuating circumstance for Max to be so pissed off. "I should have brought my pillow, I almost fall asleep. Last year, when he scored 20 wins in a row, he had a lot of fun and it was all roses. Basically, it's like Lewis Hamilton when, after winning six years in a row, he complained about Red Bull's dominance, that it wasn't good for the sport and so on.... They have no balls..."

Not an exciting race

According to AS , it is now clear that the battle for the world title is not yet over. "McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari have bored the last three victories between themselves on circuits that have very little in common. Verstappen's superiority is disappearing, especially on street circuits. Now comes Montreal, another dedicated track with high kerbs and where walls are close to walls. In summary, despite the apparent dominance of 'Mad Max', there is still two-thirds of the World Cup left and a lot can still happen.'

The Telegraph saw that Verstappen was right with his comment on board radio. Because boring it was, according to the British newspaper, although again that should not be called a surprise. "The world champion was not lying. Apart from a wildly dramatic first lap which saw his teammate’s Red Bull smashed to smithereens in a massive shunt, and a separate coming-together between the two Alpines, it was a classic Monaco snooze-fest; 78 laps of nose-to-tail procession."

For the first time in Monaco's history, the drivers finished in the top-10 as they had started. "Monaco has always been a pretty boring race, barring rain or crashes. This debate happens every year. Ultimately, the race is iconic for a reason – it looks spectacular on television with all the yachts in the harbour, it brings out the celebrities, and it hosts the greatest pole shootout of the season."

Verstappen can do little

The BBC saw that even Verstappen could not manage to give Russell a hard time, despite his tyres being a lot newer. "If the race for the win was sufficient a demonstration of the difficulty of passing at Monaco, Verstappen put it in even starker perspective after rocketing up to Russell’s tail in the closing laps, before being unable to make any progress.Verstappen’s sixth place combined with Leclerc’s win cut the Dutchman’s championship lead to 31 points after seven of 24 races, but both men had already emphasised on Saturday that the championship was long and no conclusions should be drawn at this early stage."

In Germany, Bild headlined big: "Leclerc wins! Verstappen desperate, Ferrari wins after horror crash. Leclerc overcame his home curse, finally winning the Monaco Grand Prix from pole position at his third attempt! Meanwhile, the world champion bit his teeth on George Russell 's Mercedes and simply could not overtake the Briton on the narrow street circuit."

Maximum marks for Leclerc

La Gazzetta dello Sport also saw Verstappen unable to conjure anything out of the top hat. "Red Bull has been struggling for three races and this time even the 'Fenomeno' could not make anything of it. His mistake in qualifying had major consequences and condemned him to a frustrating GP,' said the Italian sports newspaper, which awarded him a 5.5. Leclerc received a 10. 'He advanced to victory with a brilliant pole and eventually secured victory with two perfect starts. But then you had to stay focused for 78 endless laps and keep the tension and emotions - like Piastri - in check. It was his finest victory."

In France, there was also a 10 for Leclerc from L'Equipe, which is often not so generous in handing out maximum marks. "A picture of mental fragility at key moments, the famous curse at home, the sustained run of almost two years without a win since Austria 2022.... All that came to an end for Leclerc in Monaco. Emotions ran high afterwards. In spectacular fashion, he was a master of managing his pace and strategy all afternoon. And that after perfectly executing two standing starts in 45 minutes."

This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.