Verstappen dominates in Monte Carlo

Verstappen dominates in Monte Carlo: Analysis of the Monaco Grand Prix, brought to you by Bahrain International Circuit

There are very few guarantees in life. One of them, however, is that in the lead up to the Monaco Grand Prix there will be criticism from a corner of F1, whether that be fans or pundits, about the race around the streets of Monte Carlo. Some claim that it’s not fit for purpose, it’s too hard to overtake for modern F1 cars, or even that the event is more about the glitz and glamour of the early Mediterranean summer, than the serious business of motorsport. Any of those criticisms miss some critical fundamental points about this great race. Firstly, it’s an extremely difficult track for even the most experienced driver. Just one lapse of concentration or misjudged braking point and you will inevitably find your car buried in a wall. Just ask Lewis Hamilton or Sergio Perez – two of the highest rated and experienced drivers on the grid – who both came a cropper at various stages of this weekend. As a driver, you are always a few millimeters away from your weekend finishing. Fundamentally, that is what makes Monaco exciting. Yes, it’s difficult to overtake, but that makes the strategists on the pit wall work even harder on timing of pit stops and what to do during safety car intervals, which tend to be inevitable in Monte Carlo. As for the glamour? The world-famous pre-race grid walk by Martin Brundle showed that even the biggest of stars were engaged and knowledgeable about F1. The sport is doing an amazing job of making F1 the hottest ticket in town and that can only be welcomed.

The limited opportunities for overtaking in Monaco naturally makes qualifying that much more important. Eleven of the last three races have been won from the front row and the last driver to win from beyond third on the grid was in 1996, so the teams were that much more focused on getting a good spot on Saturday. Whilst it was Verstappen who eventually took pole, Fernando Alonso ran pretty close. Indeed, there was just 0.02 seconds in it and 0.3 seconds covering the whole top 5. Leclerc had qualified third, but a grid penalty moved him to sixth, whilst Ocon in the Alpine put in a storming lap for an unexpected fourth, with Sainz and Hamilton completing the top five.

The race itself got off to a fairly undramatic start, with all drivers managing to get through the early laps without incident. Verstappen managed to get clear of Alonso at the start with Ocon, Sainz and the two Mercedes just behind. It’s a reflection of the level of skill of these drivers that 20 cars can squeeze through the narrow streets without major incident. In fact, the discipline and focus of the drivers was maintained through the race, with just one car not finishing the race distance, despite several close calls and the rain towards the end of the race.

Indeed, it was the rain that provided the substantial jeopardy for the race, as the difficulty in overtaking proved true for much of the first 50 laps. Showers were always threatening and many teams had hoped it would coincide with their only planned stop. Aston Martin ran out of patience waiting for the rain and pitted Alonso – still in second place – on lap 53. Just one lap later, the rain intensified and it was clear intermediate tyres were the only option. Verstappen was quick to come in and from there, now a full pit stop ahead of Alonso, he breezed to victory. Alonso held out for second and Ocon became the first Frenchman to be on the podium since 1996, much to the delight of the local crowd.