Monaco is one of the great challenges of Formula 1. The traffic is monstrous, and that’s only when you have 20 cars fighting for position around the narrow, winding, barrier-lined street.
Drivers should watch out for slower cars when on a fast lap; no easy task when there are several blind corners and only one narrow path to get through. He misjudges and the round is over. There is also a bottleneck in the final segment during qualifying, as the drivers drop back to get some clean air to push for a fast lap.
Communication, then, is key. Radio waves are intense, and engineers provide their drivers with constant updates on where other cars are on the track to help them move around the track without having to lift the throttle and lose valuable lap time. It’s a trade-off though, as too much communication can distract a driver trying to focus.
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At just 3.3km, it is the shortest track on the calendar. Packed into that route, which runs up and down the mountainous Principality, it has 19 corners. There is little time for drivers to relax, even in the high-speed race through the iconic tunnel. It’s stressful, there’s hardly any time to take a break.
When the margins are that tight, mistakes happen. It is unavoidable. Sometimes you do it right, sometimes you do it wrong. That’s why driver skill is clearer to see around here. They can make more than one difference.
Harnessing those skills requires confidence, and drivers gain it by developing them through the three one-hour practice sessions. It’s never practice more important than Monaco.
And unlike other race weekends, it’s qualifying where all the emphasis is placed. The last three dry Monaco Grands Prix have been led from start to finish: Ricciardo in 2018, Hamilton in 2019 and Verstappen in 2021. Overtaking is not impossible, it is very, very, very, very difficult. So a place on the grid will probably define your race on Sunday.
That’s why Ferrari is optimistic this could be a weekend where they can really shine if they do everything right. His one-lap car has been promising, with Charles Leclerc the only non-Red Bull driver to have started from pole position this season. Their race pace drops like a stone though, and they struggle to hold their own against Aston Martin and Mercedes, and on occasion, Alpine and Haas cars.
That deficit won’t hurt them here, as long as they can take pole or, better yet, sit on the front row and stay reliable. They also have the fastest pit stop of the year, with Charles Leclerc renewing his boots in just 2.10s in Jeddah.
They have been quick in the pit lane in 2023, with three of the four fastest stops. And that would put them in good shape to stay in the race, even if they’re not the fastest car. But the red cars are not the only ones aspiring to their chances on the streets of Monaco.
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Aston Martin, which this week announced an impressive deal to bring Honda into the team in 2026 as their driving force, they are also looking for their strongest result of the season.
Double world champion Fernando Alonso has finished third in four of the five races to take third place in the drivers’ championship. But he would like an upgrade, ideally to a win that would be his first in 10 years, dating back to the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
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Those green cars, like their red Ferrari rivals, are very strong in low-speed corners. That’s handy since there are so many of them around Monte Carlo.
The little unknown is Mercedes, who has brought her long-awaited update for the Principality. The most visual change is to the sidepods, but the most significant adjustments will be less clear, specifically around the front suspension and the floor.
Boss Toto Wolff has downplayed expectations: “it won’t be a panacea.” But they hope the change will give Lewis Hamilton and George Russell more confidence in the car. Do that and they could be in the mix this weekend.
However, Red Bull remains favorites as while they don’t lead the way in the slow corner performance charts, they do have the fastest car overall with lots and lots of downforce, something that is key in Monaco.
Sergio Pérez took victory last year, with his teammate and championship leader Max Verstappen taking the spoils the year before.
And what a season they are already having. The reigning world champions are just one shy of their season-high five one-two finishes, and Verstappen finished every race in 2023 in the top two.
That’s an impressive run of form, and one that will be hard to end. But Monaco is the place where rivals Ferrari, Aston Martin and Mercedes will feel beaten.
Eight drivers in the fight for victory? Yes please.