Martin Brundle on Monaco Grand Prix results…

Former Formula 1 driver, Sky Sport F1 commentator Martin Brundle summed up the results of the Monaco Grand Prix…

Sergio Perez remains one of the simplest and most approachable people in the paddock. I’m sure many in Formula 1 were ready to share his tears on the podium. Congratulations to him and Red Bull.

In the last six races he finished fourth twice, second three times and took a brilliant win. Had he not missed a partner in Barcelona a week earlier, he would have been only one point away from the championship leader, although it must be said that without a team, Max would most likely have taken the lead from the pits. – due to higher speed on fresh tyres.

Eleven years ago, Sergio was involved in a serious crash during qualifying in Monaco – and on Sunday he missed the race with a concussion, underlining the tenacity and speed of the 32-year-old driver, who already has 220 Grands Prix to his credit . The 2022 ground effect cars clearly match his driving style.

One of the failures of the weekend was the start delay, in my opinion the race should have started on time. This is yet another proof that the FIA ​​needs to change.

There is no need to postpone the race in anticipation of the approaching rain. We have virtual and real safety cars, red flags, pit stop teams that can change tires in two seconds and two types of wet tires.

Several reliable sources told me that there were heated discussions during this break towards the race, and we all didn’t understand what was happening. Only this can explain the passivity and lack of information. Even the safety car didn’t go away, although he usually checks the track condition periodically.

The FIA ​​urgently needs change. Formula 1 needs a strong and fully authorized race director with at least one stand-in, a dedicated track and systems inspector and an efficient communications department. This is a matter of the highest priority.

What happened in Abu Dhabi last year in the decisive race of the season has been brewing for months, maybe years since the death of Charlie Whiting, and was inevitable given that we’ve run 39 races, including many hastily organized events during the pandemic, without the proper resources and structure in the FIA.

And what has happened to Michael Masi and to the race director position requires reform, if possible. Masi was fit for the job as Whiting’s understudy, but things spiraled out of control when his racing control and judging became dominant.

On Sunday at 20:03 after the finish of the race, the FIA ​​informed us that at the start of the race there were problems with the power supply in the switchboard at the start due to heavy rain, which explains the postponement of the start after the red flags. If the press were just informed about this directly via WhatsApp, we could inform tens of millions of viewers around the world and tens of thousands of fans on the track.

And then we were able to appreciate the excellent aerobatics of the drivers who had no previous experience driving 2022 cars with new 18-inch tires in the wet and slippery Monaco.

Of course there were few overtakings, but this is Monaco. But I admire the skill and dedication of the riders who operate the machines in ever-changing conditions. Part of the race was on wet tires, part on intermediate tires, part on slicks – these were the conditions.

It’s worth sympathizing with local hero Charles Leclerc – he took the post and led confidently, but a botched strategy took him to fourth. On lap 18 he switched to intermediate tires and after three laps – to slicks. Radio confusion caused him to wait while the team served his partner Carlos Sainz. As a result, Perez pushed him into second first and after the second tire change he was fourth.

During the red flag race suspension due to Mick Schumacher’s serious accident, Charles was given the opportunity to tell the team everything he thinks about this. It was his race and he didn’t even make the podium.

The mutual admiration and affection between Leclerc and Ferrari reminds me of Michael Schumacher’s relationship with this team, but over the past eight days it has been really tested by Charles due to two missed victories.

Of course we don’t hear all the radio traffic, but Sainz has made it clear that he wants to go straight to slicks, with no intermediate tires. It was a smart and winning decision. Unfortunately for him, when he exited the wet pit lane on slicks, he wasted a dozen turns for Latifi in the Williams and lost the position to Perez. Despite persistent efforts to get ahead of Sergio, whose Medium tires were not in the best condition in the closing laps, Sainz still finished second. But his day will come.

In third place was Max Verstappen, already happy with the fact that his main rival in the battle for the title was behind. Max for some reason lacked speed over the weekend, he was also inferior to Perez. Third place for Red Bull is a very good result, as Ferrari was clearly faster.

George Russell again had a great result for Mercedes, finishing in 5th place. He was just two tenths ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who left behind the best lap of the race.

Norris had the option of a “free” pit stop, as behind Fernando, Alonso held back the pace and seriously lagged, gathering behind him a group of drivers with an oversteer Hamilton driving first. “It’s not my problem,” said Fernando, “and you can’t help but feel in his words the fragments of the season they spent at McLaren in 2007.

Hamilton finished eighth and Vettel tenth. Along with Alonso, just seven seconds separated the drivers who had 13 championship titles for three. But on this day they didn’t have much glory. Valtteri Bottas did a great job in the Alfa Romeo and finished ninth.

Mick Schumacher probably wants to forget this day as soon as possible. He had an accident in which his car was completely destroyed. I can imagine how disgruntled team leader Günther Steiner is.

This is another weekend when Daniel Ricciardo, the renowned Monaco specialist, couldn’t do better at the wheel of a McLaren. His frustration and tension in the team is clear to everyone.

After the race, Ferrari filed a protest against the Red Bull drivers’ actions for crossing the dividing line in the pit lane, but it was decided that Perez would not go over it at all, and Verstappen did not go all the way with a single wheel, and in accordance with the 2022 regulation this is allowed.

I know that many fans find the Monaco race too boring due to the lack of overtaking and wheel-to-wheel fights, but with a world championship taking place on different tracks, I hope Monaco and Formula 1 can come to an agreement and sign a new contract for 2023 and beyond are always unique and sometimes downright crazy three days.