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Five quick takeaways from F1's Monaco Grand Prix
Five quick takeaways from F1's Monaco Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli hypetrain isn't slowing down
Qualifying in Monaco is quite possibly the difficult test of any Formula 1 driver, between the technical challenge, the balance between risk and reward and the sheer pressure involved because of how crucial Saturday is for the race outcome.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli fending off team-mate George Russell, as well as the Briton's pre-weekend mind games, Monaco's 3.337km street circuit offered plenty of opportunities for Antonelli to trip up.
Instead, he rose to the occasion with an astonishing qualifying lap on Saturday, which paved the way for a cool and collected cruise to victory during Sunday's 78-lap parade.
Add Russell's low-speed woes and his luckless afternoon on Sunday, which prevented him from collecting any points, and Antonelli is in the driving seat for the title race even firmer than he was before.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIsack Hadjar gets first Red Bull podium ahead of key Barcelona test
Max Verstappen’s Monaco Grand Prix lasted even less time than the journey back to his apartment, but Isack Hadjar saved the day by securing his first-ever podium in Red Bull Racing colours.
The Monaco weekend has been a true rollercoaster for Laurent Mekies’ squad. Verstappen surprised friend and foe alike by putting the RB22 on the front row of the grid in qualifying. It came as a welcome boost after he had predicted in Montreal that he would need a new back for Monaco.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMax Verstappen will “order a new back” for Monaco GP amid Red Bull ride woes
It showed Red Bull performed better than expected over the bumps and kerbs, although that was undone on Sunday by engine problems. According to Verstappen, he already felt those during the formation lap, then described the pre-start procedure as messy and lost the power unit as soon as he released the clutch.
Hadjar seemed destined for a similar fate after reporting power unit issues rather vocally over the team radio. A great opportunity appeared to be slipping through Red Bull’s fingers, but that was before another dose of drama unfolded on the streets of Monte Carlo.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt suddenly handed Hadjar his first podium as a Red Bull Racing driver and his second in F1, although his potential safety car infringement will be investigated after the race. It made for a day of contrasting fortunes, and comes just ahead of what Verstappen has called the real test for the team: Barcelona.
Since the Miami upgrade package, most races have taken place on tracks dominated by slow-speed corners, meaning the all-round challenge of Barcelona should provide a clearer picture of where Red Bull truly stands. At the very least, Hadjar managed to salvage this weekend on a very turbulent day.
- Ronald Vording
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGeorge Russell's title hopes fade further into obscurity
George Russell, Mercedes
There’s some truth in the suggestion that luck hasn’t exactly been on Russell’s side this season. A few misfortunes have certainly cost him points here and there, and his retirement in Canada was a major blow to his championship hopes. And now came another one - with all kinds of misfortune the pre-season title favourite had to contend with on Sunday in Monaco.
But still, weekends like those in the Principality and Miami have also highlighted that he is not entirely comfortable with the W17 and, unlike his young team-mate, lacks consistency from track to track. When Russell is quick, Antonelli is always close. But when George struggles to extract the maximum from the car, Kimi is often in a different league altogether.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMonaco saw Russell surrender another huge chunk of points in the championship and, while the season is still far from over, the gap is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The problem for George is not just the deficit itself, but the fact that Antonelli is showing no signs of weakness.
McLaren leaves Monaco with more questions than answers
Andrea Stella arrived in Monaco expecting McLaren's strength in low-speed corners to get it at least close to contention around Monaco. Instead, the weekend turned into one of its biggest disappointments of the season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNorris' fifth time in Q2 offered some promise, but when it mattered neither the reigning world champion nor team-mate Oscar Piastri ever looked capable of fighting at the front, ultimately qualifying only seventh and eighth on the grid.
Starting from those positions always made Sunday's race an uphill battle, but McLaren's pace offered little hope of a recovery. Piastri spent the afternoon in a lonely sixth place and was never able to challenge Hadjar or Russell, even when the latter encountered problems during the race.
The situation worsened when Norris was forced to retire after 43 laps with a power unit issue, marking his second consecutive DNF following another mechanical failure in Canada.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter celebrating a 1-3 in Monaco just a year ago, McLaren leaves the Principality with far more questions than answers. Among the biggest question marks is the revised version of its front wing, first introduced in Montreal and brought to Monaco in an updated specification, yet once again abandoned before qualifying after not delivering the performance gains the team had expected.
- Federico Faturos
Charles Leclerc's home race turns into nightmare
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
F1 drivers and their home races, it hasn't been a great combination yet this year. First there was Piastri's reconnaissance lap crash in Melbourne and now Leclerc's homecoming in Monaco slowly but surely spiralled out of control, starting with crippling braking issues that frustrated him in qualifying and relegated him to a fourth-placed start.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFrom there Leclerc was pretty much stuck and was left furious when Ferrari - seemingly without justifiable reason - brought him into the pits a second time under the safety car, allowing team-mate Lewis Hamilton to sit out his penalty without losing second.
It further angered Leclerc as he then plowed into the barriers at Rascasse with recurring brake issues, though the track breaking up in the braking zone may have also played a part. As Hamilton capped off a return to form with another second place, Leclerc won't be sleeping well tonight.
- Filip Cleeren
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPhotos from Monaco GP - Sunday
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images
Fisher in the Paddock
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJayce Illman / Getty Images
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari
Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Allan McNish, Racing Director of Audi F1 Team talks to Donald Trump Jr and his wife Bettina Anderson
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPierre Gasly, Alpine, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSir Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx.
Yachts in the harbour.
Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian on the grid.
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian in the paddock with Silvia Domenicali and Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One Group.
Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Pascal Le Segretain / Sygma via Getty Images
Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Charlene of Monaco, and Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula One Group.
Audi F1 Team pit stop practice.
John Phillips / LAT Images via Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Joe Portlock / Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlexander Albon, Williams, Carlos Sainz, Williams
Joe Portlock / Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team, Carlos Sainz, Williams
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Dom Gibbons / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Marshals clear the track under the red flag.
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe track is swept during a red flag delay.
An official signals 5 minutes left until the restart in the pit lane.
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAndrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, crosses the finish line to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
Andrej Isakovic / AFP via Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFrederic Vasseur, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Max Verstappen reveals cause of shock Monaco GP retirement: "Engine just dropped dead"
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