Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle summarized the Monaco Grand Prix.
The results were fantastic, but the race itself was not an event. At this circuit the best scenario is a safety car coming out at the wrong time, a red flag or rain. And even better: all three factors.
The worst-case scenario is a red flag on the first lap on a day when two of the three tire compounds allow you to drive the entire distance without any problems. The regulations allow drivers to change tires during a race stoppage, eliminating the problem of the mandatory use of two compounds. That’s what we saw.
The result was a scenario where Ferrari, with Leclerc leading and Sainz in third, essentially matched their pace with fifth-placed Russell to avoid opening the pit window for Norris’s fourth-placed McLaren.
As a result, for the first time in Formula 1 history, the top ten finished in the same order in which they started.
At the first start, less than half a lap completed, three separate incidents occurred. Sainz, who started well, overtook Piastri in the first corner, but the cars collided and he suffered a puncture and stopped in the safety zone at Piazza Casino.
Only a red flag could save him from a derailment. Two Haas cars started from the last row after the team broke technical regulations. I spoke to the Haas mechanics before the race and they were hoping their cars would start from the grid instead of the pit lane. I told them that the only advantage of starting from the pit lane was the ability to avoid incidents on the first lap, and these words turned out to be prophetic.
A traffic jam formed in the first corner, Magnussen deftly jumped through it and regained positions. Sergio Perez, who started 16th after poor qualifying, tried to avoid the cars around him – and Kevin overtook him at the exit of Sainte Devote.
The climb to Casino Square is over a long and narrow double chicane. The front axle of Magnussen’s car was slightly ahead of Perez’s rear axle, he felt he should be given some space and that was not much.
The best overtaking opportunity in Monaco is not always an attack on the first lap. Magnussen is a tough driver, he wanted to pass Red Bull, but you have to assess the risks, especially when you are behind and driving for the smallest team in Formula 1. If you don’t take your foot off the accelerator, the chance goes up contact in the next hundred meters is very large, and that is what happened.
As a result of the accident, only the cockpit remained of Red Bull, Hulkenberg’s car was also damaged – both Haas drivers fell out of the battle. The stewards were unable to determine who was most to blame for this incident. Perez could have been more attentive and left more space, Magnussen could have realized that he had to take his foot off the accelerator.
But as with Magnussen’s crash in Miami with Sargent, the intense competition for low positions resulted in a huge amount of damage.
The first round was another reminder of how desperate the battle outside the top ten is.
In the Portier corner before the tunnel, just before the race was stopped by red flags, Ocon crashed into the car of his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly. As a result, Esteban dropped out, but Gasly finished tenth, earning one point for the team.
Ocon is a good, fast racer, but when he fights with his teammates, his eyes seem to become bloodshot. Perez and Alonso have already criticized him for unnecessary aggression towards his teammates, and now also Gasly. This will cost Esteban dearly; no team will hire a driver with such a mentality.
A Formula 1 driver represents a large team, hundreds of experienced professionals, hundreds of millions of pounds in investment and sponsorship. You have no right to attack your partner like that.
The drivers’ positioning at the restart was determined by where they were when they crossed the safety line at the end of the pit lane, minus those who were unable to restart.
The result was 16 cars, all classified after 77 laps. The second start was much cleaner, after which the drivers drove slowly enough to finish without additional tire changes.
Lewis Hamilton said it was one of the worst races he had ever experienced, while Max Verstappen wished for a pillow to sleep on during the race.
The irony is that these two drivers didn’t care as we all watched them win races and titles, but they’re right. It was boring to say the least.
George Russell did well to finish fifth ahead of Verstappen, who, like Hamilton, had a free pit stop.
There were brief moments when McLaren could have called the drivers to the pits in an attempt to destabilize Ferrari’s comfortable positions in first and third place, but Verstappen, unable to pass Russell, proved once again that track position in Monaco is more important than new tires.
Perhaps McLaren of the past, when they won races and titles, would have tried this, but now second and fourth places suited them, and anything else would have been a gamble, perhaps even a reckless one.
Alex Albon did excellently in the Williams and finished ninth, while Yuki Tsunoda continued his excellent season with an eighth place for RB.
Aston Martin failed to score points after Lance Stroll hit the barriers and suffered a puncture in his left rear tire despite being fast earlier.
As a result, we saw Leclerc’s first win in 39 races; he broke an unsuccessful streak of 12 races that he could not win, starting from pole. This time he performed perfectly – from the first lap of the first practice to the last lap of the race.
Piastri finished second, repeating his career best result. In fact, he was the only one who could deprive Leclerc of pole and victory.
Because the race was stopped by red flags, Sainz was able to return to the start and won his third podium in Monaco.
Ferrari and McLaren are in great form, both teams and their drivers seem very united and focused on the battle. This means that Red Bull will have to look in the mirrors in both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship. And there are still many races to come.
Personally, I have no doubt that Red Bull’s internal conflict has had a negative impact on their recent performances, but they will be desperate to return to their best form at the next round in Montreal.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
