PRIXVIEW – Monaco Grand Prix

Round seven brings F1 to the most famous and prestigious races in the world around the Principality of Monaco. Since the first race in 1929, there have been seventy-eight races only being cancelled between 1938 and 1947, before becoming a permeant round of the championship in 1955, with the expectation of 2020 because of the pandemic.

It is one of the oldest and the most prestigious races in all of motorsport, forming one part of the triple crown. Many drivers would give up a win at another win just to have Monaco on their CV, it’s the most challenging circuit given it narrow streets which means the strategy is key as overtaking on track is challenging

It boasts iconic corners, Sainte Devote, Casino Square, Tunnel and Rascasse all corners which roll off the brain. Overtaking is difficult and mistakes are costly, put together with the focus this is one of the most challenging races of the year, rewarding bravery but also punishing mistakes.

The Portier corner is key to achieving a good lap time around Monaco. It is preceded by the Loews hairpin, the slowest corner in Formula One, and followed by the tunnel, one of the few flat-out sections of the track. But this has seen drama as drivers brake for the Nouvelle Chicane.

The drivers need to build confidence throughout practice and that is key to having a good weekend, one crash can start the downwards spiral. This whole weekend a test of drivers’ skill and team communication, as strategy and being on track at the right time is key. Overtaking is going to be hard, reacting to safety cars and pit stops are key in gaining position on track.

Monte Carlo is a circuit which favours good mechanical grip and cornering as there aren’t any real straights, drivers will be pushing hard throughout the practice sessions on Friday afternoon to get as much time on track to build confidence. Many of the drivers will know the circuit well, this has been the home race for many drivers who live in Monaco.

Communication and strategy can be key, the race often runs up to the time limit because of safety cars and accidents. That means races can be won and lost by the timing of pit stops, although tyres aren’t a limiting factor the short pit lane and safety cars make this a strategical race rather than one where lap time and overtaking are important.

Qualifying is one of the most important of the year, as limited over means grid and track position are key. It also means that pit stops can both win and lose time, while not a tyre limited race, the advantage of position but it can also lose races if teams get it right that can mean big rewards.

Monte Carlo is the only circuit to host a Grand Prix in the world championship era at the same circuit when it has been a round of the championship. Second to Monza in the record books by the number of races held.

Although it’s a circuit that is difficult to overtake the drivers have always loved the challenge and drama of Monte Carlo. It’s the flagship race because of the huge rewards victory has and the mental challenge of winning the race. Nelson Piquet memorably described driving around Monaco as “like riding a bicycle around your living room.”

This includes the two championship rivals Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, both having crashed on multiple occasions. Despite this being Leclerc’s home race the Monacan has had a shaky relationship with the race, having two retirements, two finishes outside the points and not starting last years race.

Despite taking pole last year, he crashed at the end of qualifying damaging both the gearbox and driveshaft, the driveshaft issue being detected on the way to the grid and that left him unable to start. Verstappen meanwhile dominated the race taking victory, the first time he stood on the podium.

Monaco often throws up abnormal results and winners as in 1996, when Olivier Panis took his only race win and saw only three (actual) finishers David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert. Most retirements coming from collisions or technical problems. Schumacher took his first of three wins for Ferrari in Mont Carlo in 1997. After the two Williams retired, Schumacher showed his skills in the wet to take victory by fifty-three seconds.

Graham Hill has the nickname ‘Mr Monaco,’ in the 1960s the Englishman won five races including 1966 when he avoided a collision on lap 25 with the backmarker which dropped him to fifth. After setting fastest lap after fastest lap he still managed to work his way back into the lead of the race. Hill’s teammate Denny Hulme would win in 1967 before Hill took two more wins.

The early 1970s saw the Swimming Pool built, although early on there would be a ramp over the section, the origins of the chicane we know today were introduced along with the pit lane in 1973. Further changes were made three years later, Sainte Devote corner was made slower and a chicane was placed right before the pit straight

1984 saw the beginning of domination by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, between the two rivals they would win the next ten races. Senna showed great promise in the wet catching Prost in the heavy rain to finish second, when the race was abandoned on lap thirty-one. The Frenchman took victory the following year, after Senna retired with an engine failure.

Prost dominated 1986 after starting from pole position, a race where the Nouvelle Chicane had been changed on the grounds of safety. Senna’s first of five consecutive wins came in 1989, he won while Prost was stuck behind backmarker Rene Arnoux and others

1994 was the first race following Senna’s death, that race wasn’t without more difficult questions after Austrian Karl Wendlinger had an accident in his Sauber in the tunnel; he went into a coma and was to miss the rest of the season. Michael Schumacher would go on to win the first of five wins equalling Hill in 2001.

Monaco often throws up abnormal results and winners as in 1996, when Olivier Panis took his only race win and saw only three (actual) finishers David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert. Most retirements come from collisions or technical problems. Schumacher took his first of three wins for Ferrari in Mont Carlo in 1997. After the two Williams retired, Schumacher showed his skills in the wet to take victory by fifty-three seconds.

Monaco often throws up abnormal results and winners as in 1996, when Olivier Panis took his only race win and saw only three (actual) finishers David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert. Most retirements coming from collisions or technical problems. Schumacher took his first of three wins for Ferrari in Mont Carlo in 1997. After the two Williams retired, Schumacher showed his skills in the wet to take victory by fifty-three seconds.

Sir Lewis Hamilton’s first win came in wet and changeable conditions in 2008, the McLaren driver took the lead of the race when his rivals made their first stop and at his second stop he switched first to the soft tyre. Following the final safety car caused by Nico Rosberg after he hit debris. Hamilton would have to wait eight years until his second win around the principally when Red Bull messed up the pit stop of Daniel Ricciardo allowing Hamilton

Rosberg dominated the race in the early years of the hybrid era but the minor regulation changes in 2017 unmasked the weaknesses of the Mercedes on street circuits with Ricciardo getting redemption from Red Bull’s error in 2016. That was despite him nursing the car with an MGU-K failure and six out of eight gears functioning, to date this remains the Australian’s most recent win.

Race & Circuit Guide

Fast facts

• Monaco is Grand Prix that does not adhere to the FIA’s mandated 305-kilometre (190-mile) minimum race distance for F1 races. However, is one of the longest races in terms of time given the highly and high chance of a safety car
• Monaco holds the record in the modern F1 era for the least number of cars to finish a race, only four cars made it to the chequered flag in both 1966 and 1996.
• Thirty-three kilometres of safety rails are erected. This is on top of three thousand six hundred tyres for tyre barriers and twenty thousand square metres of wire catch fencing.
• To promote the star-studded film “Ocean’s 12” in 2004, the Jaguar team ran a special livery at the Monaco Grand Prix, complete with precious diamonds attached to the nosecones of the cars. On lap one, the Jaguar of Christian Klien hit the barriers and retired from the race

Event timetable

What happened in 2021?

Charles Leclerc took pole despite crashing at the end of Q3 beating Max Verstappen by two tenths. His mistake which brought the session to an early close happened when he appeared to lose the rear of his Ferrari exiting the Swimming Pool, with him hitting the outside barrier and slipping across the track into the wall.

That crash would come back to bite the Ferrari driver, the damage became clear on the way to the grid as a driveshaft issue stopped him on the way to the grid. Verstappen was given a clear run to Sainte Devote before going on to control the race steadily building his lead following the pit stop where he came out in front.

His win allowed him to take a four-point lead over Sir Lewis Hamilton in a race that didn’t feature any safety cars or yellow flags with it being won on strategy, a rare event in Monte Carlo.

Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez was fourth twenty seconds behind as the Mercedes race started to unravel on lap thirty-four when Valtteri Bottas made his stop. While Perez may have not been where Red Bull would have liked him, it was still a decent drive from eighth on the grid to finish fourth allowing the team to maximise the race.

Race Result – 1) M. Verstappen, Red Bull – Honda, 01:38:56.820,  2) C. Sainz, Ferrari, +00:08.968, 3) L. Norris, McLaren – Mercedes, +00:19.427

What to watch for?

This weekend is going to put both Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc to the test, both drivers have had a tough relationship with this circuit. Verstappen has won here but also knows the pain of crashing here, the opening races have put the two head to head but Monaco requires a different mindset. This race is not about being the fastest it’s about having the best car in the corners.

The drivers need to build themselves into the weekend, as one mistake can unsettle the whole weekend. It’s a race where anything can happen as we see multiple safety cars usually, we know that the drivers all want to win this race as it’s one of the most important races of the season.

Mercedes have made a step forwards but despite the dominance in the early hybrid era they have had there issues before turning it around on Sunday often. The challenge for everyone is being on track both in qualifying and the race, as safety cars are common and overtaking difficult. Taking advantage is going to be key for all the teams in this race.

Monaco often as well closes up the gaps, and this season we know there are many teams in the midfield battle. It could be a key a qualifying session as they know the track evolution is high at a street circuit, meaning anyone can be caught out even the teams. Tyre wear isn’t normally a huge factor but they can use multiple stops to try to gain position.

Alfa Romeo I think are dark horses in the midfield battle, this circuit should suit those cars with good grip and cornering watch out for Haas too they have had decent results this season. This weekend I think there could be a few surprises….

2021 Lap time comparison

A lap of Monte Carlo

Daniel Ricciardo runs on the inside as he starts the lap on the short straight to Sainte Devote before he moves to the inside briefly before breaking. Returns to the outside as he approaches Sainte Devote nicely through then goes to the outside. Carries the speed off up the hill through the kink at Beau Rivage, breaks as he goes through Massenet goes to the inside setting himself up well through Casino Square.

Breaks on his way to Mirabeau Haute hits the apex as he round the kink. Breaks as he goes through the slowest corner of the season, around the apex before running into Mirabeau Bas taking a bit of the kerb. Goes to the outside setting himself up nicely for Portier gets a good exit going to the outside stays there as he genitally carries speed through the tunnel. Moves on the latter part of the corner to the inside, before going back to the outside. Breaks 100m before the Nouvelle Chicane hits the apex on entry and gets a good exit. Carries a bit of speed on his way through Tabac.

Continues to speed up on his way to Louis Chiron taking the chicane nicely. Breaks on the exit of the Swimming Pool, good through fifteen. Breaks early for Rascasse takes it slowly going to the outside and does the same at Antony Noghes. Goes to the inside where he stays doing a 1:10.810 to take pole.

Tyres