Early Edition on Newstalk ZB Newstalk ZB

- Charles Leclerc’s first win since July 2022

- Max Verstappen started and finished the race sixth for Red Bull

- Early crash took out Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the restarted Monaco Grand Prix from pole position today for his first Formula 1 victory in nearly two years.

Leclerc was on pole for the third time in four years, but had previously never finished on the podium at his home race. His first win since Austria in July 2022 took his career tally to six, all with Ferrari.

“Tonight’s going to be a big night,” he told his team over the radio.


A Monaco victory felt extra special for him, having grown up in a flat overlooking the start-finish line watching cars zooming past below.

“No words can explain that. It was the race that made me want to be a Formula 1 driver one day,” the 26-year-old Leclerc said. “Seeing so many of my friends on the balcony, so many people I know. It means a huge amount to me.”

The last 15 laps were the most difficult as the realisation of how much winning would mean dawned on him.

“I must say I was thinking about my dad,” Leclerc said of his late father. “It was a dream of ours for me to race here and win, so it’s unbelievable.”

Championship leader Max Verstappen is bidding for a fourth straight F1 title and saw his lead trimmed to 31 points over second-place Leclerc — 169-138 — with eight races completed.

Verstappen started and finished the race sixth for Red Bull, whose other driver Sergio Perez went out of the race after a big first-lap crash.

The crash also took out Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, and caused it to be interrupted by a red flag for 40 minutes. The drivers were not hurt.

The race restarted on Lap 3 of 78 and the drivers pulled away cleanly but slowly, with Leclerc managing his tires on a track notoriously difficult for overtaking.

Leclerc finished about 8 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and 9 seconds clear of Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. in third.

McLaren’s Lando Norris was fourth and Mercedes driver George Russell held off Verstappen to take fifth place.


Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh, with Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls), Alex Albon (Williams) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) completing the top 10. It was the same order as the starting grid, reflecting Monaco’s reputation as the hardest track to overtake in F1.

“The pace at the beginning was incredibly slow,” Piastri said. “But it’s been a great weekend for the team.”

All of the drama came at the start.

Perez’s right rear wheel was clipped by the front left tire of Magnussen behind him and put Perez into the crash barrier. Perez’s car almost split in half and also sent Hulkenberg’s Haas spinning as he followed behind.

A red flag came out with debris littering the track to allow Perez’s mangled Red Bull to be cleared away by a crane. The Mexican driver walked back accompanied by two race marshals. His team said he did not need medical checks.

Then, two Alpines tangled near the tunnel with Esteban Ocon’s front nose sending teammate Pierre Gasly’s car up in the air. With other cars just behind and the tunnel approaching, a serious accident was avoided. Ocon will serve a five-place grid penalty at the next race, the Canada GP on June 9.

“Today’s incident was my fault,” Ocon said. “The gap was too small in the end.”

Governing body FIA ordered a standing restart with Leclerc in pole ahead of Piastri and Sainz going from third, despite puncturing moments after the start. He was trying to pass Piastri and had to use a run-off area at Casino Square.

French football star Kylian Mbappé and FIFA president Gianni Infantino were among the guests enjoying the bright sunshine.

But the race proved a processional affair.

Following the restart, cars trundled around the 3.3-kilometre (2-mile) narrow street circuit as Leclerc seemed determined to make h

The secondary teachers union says the Government's pre-Budget teacher recruitment announcement is a good start but it needs to ramp up.

Education Minister Erica Stanford's announced a 53-million dollar package to train and recruit 1500 teachers over four years.

It includes establishing 1200 places for aspiring teachers to learn on the job.

PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Mike Hosking that there's a lot of demand for teachers coming from offshore.

He says it can take six months for a teacher to come here and trying to get a teacher that's a right fit for our system, is also an issue.

 

LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Prime Minister has made a big pre-election promise - ahead of July's general election.

The Conservative party wants to bring back 12 months of national mandatory military service.Eighteen year olds could choose between a fulltime military placement or one weekend a month of community service.

Rishi Sunak's party has not stated the planned punishment if the compulsory service is not completed.

UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking it'll appeal to right wing voters.

He says it'll cost roughly five billion New Zealand dollars and Rishi Sunak says it'll foster national spirit.

 

LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks the conclusion to the Donald Trump Hush Money Trial in New York.

The first criminal trial of former President Donald J Trump will have its closing arguments on Tuesday before Jurors have to decide to convict him.

Mr Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Anthony Davis is an LA based journalist and host of Five Minute News and told Mike Hosking it is "hard to know just how damaging this will be" for him.

 

LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state of New Zealand’s economy is a disappointment. 

In a pre-Budget speech to the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed the Government had found savings to pay for tax cuts. 

However, she warned that the books are still in a structural deficit, with spending outpacing tax revenue.  

EMA CEO Brett O’Riley told Mike Hosking that while it was disappointing to hear how bad the economy has gotten; it’s heartening to know that there’s a long-term plan.  

He said the early hints of the Government’s economic growth plan was encouraging to a lot of people in the audience. 

LISTEN ABOVE 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have hit the ground running in the UK. 

The leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties, respectively, are out and about ahead of the July 4 election. 

But Newstalk ZB UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that it hasn't been a smooth start for the Conservative leader. 

He says Sunak had an embarrassing faux par in Wales when he asked locals if they were excited to watch the upcoming football, despite Wales not getting through to the Euro finals. 

LISTEN ABOVE 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.