On Sunday, 27th May 2018, the street circuit of Monte-Carlo will host the Monaco Grand Prix, the sixth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. Before hostilities on track begin, on Tuesday, 22nd May 2018, the Mercedes team asks the FIA for clarification regarding the use of oil for turbocharger lubrication. In particular, Chris Jilbert, engineer at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, asks whether the oil in the turbocharger should be subject to the overall lubricant consumption limit of 0.6kg per 100km, a restriction introduced that year to prevent teams from boosting power with additives. In the letter sent to Charlie Whiting, it is therefore asked:
“With the exception of the fluids used in the ERS cooling circuits and the oil used in the hydraulic system that runs the power unit actuators (both of which should have zero consumption), must all oils used comply with Article 20?”
The Federation, through Charlie Whiting's response, confirms that the turbo is a part of the engine, and must therefore be subject to these usage limits.
“All oils used in the engine must comply with Article 20 of the F1 Technical Regulations and the turbocharger is considered part of the engine.”
Therefore, the combined consumption of engine and turbocharger lubricants must comply with the limit of 0.6 kg per 100 km, according to the technical directive TD/012-17. Mercedes is therefore asking the Federation to check whether Ferrari's poor units are up to scratch, after Andy Cowell, Mercedes' engine chief, had noted that the Maranello car would have a significant advantage in qualifying, but was actually a little slower in the race. Meanwhile, Ferrari presents the old version of the rear suspension in Monaco. The customer teams, Sauber and Haas, will be provided with a second engine with the same specifications as unit 1. As expected, the organisers of the Monaco Grand Prix decided to bring grid girls back on the starting grid, after Liberty Media had decided to replace them with boys at the beginning of the season. In this regard, the drivers are speaking out in favour of this decision taken by the organisers. The French driver of the Haas team, Romain Grosjean, emphasises:
“Everything has always been different in Monte-Carlo”.
And the Monegasque Alfa Romeo-Sauber driver Charles Leclerc declares, smiling:
“It's nice to bring the girls back to the track, even though I have a girlfriend and will get into trouble”.
As far as the Monaco Grand Prix is concerned, there is only one zone where drivers can activate the DRS, located along the pit straight. The detection point, i.e. the point for determining the gap between the drivers, necessary to allow the use of the device, is set after Turn 16. The track has been resurfaced in the section between the exit of the Grand Hotel variant and the exit of the Piscine. This, together with the compounds brought in by Pirelli, suggest a lowering of the lap record in qualifying. In addition, Danny Sullivan is appointed assistant steward for the race. The American has performed this function in the past, most recently at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Following the accident at the start of the previous Grand Prix, the Federation decided to penalise Romain Grosjean by three positions on the grid. For this race Pirelli, sole tyre supplier, brings the option of Supersoft, Ultrasoft and Hypersoft tyres. For the first time, the latter type of compound, introduced this season in the championship, is used in Formula 1. Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, said:
“The P Zero Hypersofts are, to all intents and purposes, a race tyre and not just a qualifying tyre, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to the unique characteristics of this track and to understand the effect they will have on strategy. It will be particularly important to gather as much data as possible from free practice. So far, we have only used the hypersoft tyres at the Abu Dhabi and Barcelona tests. It is easier to compare Monaco with Abu Dhabi, where this compound achieved times about one second per lap less than Ultrasoft. This weekend we could therefore witness a new Monaco circuit record. Of the sets to choose from, the drivers have selected 8 to 10 sets of Hypersoft each: this compound will be used a lot this weekend”.
As far as race strategies are concerned, it is possible to assume that almost all the drivers will opt for a single pit-stop, as traditionally, due to the low degradation, the tyres perform well even after many passes.
“The new Hypersoft tyre, which is one step softer than the Ultrasoft, can do 77 laps, all the way to the end, without a pit stop. Monaco is a unique track”.
On the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton is leading the World Championship standings, with 110 points, compared to the 96 points gained so far by Sebastian Vettel. But the race to be held at the Monte-Carlo circuit should not favour the Mercedes. The track, however, does please Lewis, who has already won there twice in the past:
“It really is a dream to drive here, and the anticipation from one year to the next is always enormous. It's really a shame that there is only one race a year here, because it's a very intense experience. You have to be precise and careful, more than in any other race. Monte-Carlo is a technical and mentally demanding circuit, it's hard to make people who are not used to it imagine the speed we reach here”.
He continues:
“We certainly learned a lot from last year. For this weekend we are confident, the preparation was much better than in the past. We come from winning races, but this will be one of the most difficult ones for us. If we look at the last race, already from the tests in February and the other week, we saw that Red Bull Racing was very fast especially in the last sector at Montmeló, so we can imagine that they will be very fast this weekend as well. This was a surprise, because last year Ferrari was the strongest here, and for some reason Red Bull managed to pull it all together. I expect a very difficult weekend, I'm not saying it will be impossible, but we will be close. Maybe we won't have the pace of the others, but we'll find out tomorrow. We come here to challenge our opponents. Last year there were overcuts and undercuts, so everything will be possible for the race”.
Compared to the Spanish Grand Prix, the big difference, apart from the characteristics of the track, will be related to the tyres and the asphalt: among the most wearing that of Montmeló, the lightest that of Monte-Carlo, where even with the HyperSofts it will be possible to do almost the entire race.
“I imagine there will be records, also thanks to the resurfacing of some sections of the track. We tried the HyperSofts in Abu Dhabi, I can't wait to mount those compounds, I remember they gave me great sensations. Here I think they are better than many other compounds”.
Lewis Hamilton also talks once again about the growth prospects of his team and the first races so far:
“Throughout the weekend in Barcelona we gathered a lot of information. We have understood much more about the problems we had and we are working much harder to solve them. I think we are going in the right direction to solve them, I am more confident about progress over the course of the season. If there is something to correct we will do it, but the feeling is good. There is a lot of work behind the scenes, the stress and pressure is on everyone's shoulders and the competition is very very strong. The first five races are always very difficult, a learning process, but I am confident that we will do the best possible job to maximise the results”.
There is no shortage of questions about the newcomer, young Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque driver who will race at home this weekend:
“I watched the feeder series and saw what he was able to do in the last few years. we watched him together with my engineers and saw his talent emerge. Formula 1 is the high point of our sport and it has to host the best drivers in the world even if you honestly can't say that 100 per cent there are the best drivers from all nations. In any case, it's great to see a young driver who really has a lot of talent, who has come through the ranks and made it to the top so soon, he has the potential to do great things. You can't say that about all the other guys who have emerged in recent years, because in the end it's very difficult, it's a very expensive sport and you don't always have the money for the most talented guys. I wish them the best, the best thing is to keep your feet on the ground, keep your family close and enjoy this adventure”.
The last topics are news magazine worthy, Grid Girl and Royal Wedding:
“I think women are the most beautiful thing in the world. There have been races where we've had guys, in the past a mix... I think Monte Carlo is a very elegant race and I wouldn't have a definite opinion about Grid Girls. I don't really know how the women feel about it, so I can't comment. I don't have a strong opinion at the moment, if there are beautiful women on the grid, I think they reflect the Monaco Grand Prix, but I don't think we should push or support a position that would make women feel uncomfortable. If that is the case, we should not be in favour of women on the grid, but if not, why not? The royal wedding? I watched it all over the weekend with a smile on my face, it was beautiful the change and seeing how happy the bride and groom were. I think I felt proud for them, it's nice to see positivity and change. Even in the church there was a mix of ministers of faith, it was beautiful just to look at. A fairytale setting, both for children and adults a dream”.
For his part, Sebastian Vettel simply said at the press conference:
“I think it is fair to summarise everything by saying that the race was not very positive for us. Saturday was good, we were close in qualifying, but in the race we took a step backwards. It was good that we had the opportunity on Tuesday and Wednesday to do race simulations to better understand what happened. We have a couple of ideas and we believe that it is because of these that our pace was so weak. However, these are factors that will not be so relevant to what will happen here, as the track is totally different. Maybe solving these things will help us later, but only time will tell if we have found the right direction”.
As the German driver also mentioned, the race will take place in Monaco on a unique circuit. Where the balance of power seen in the first five races of 2018 could also be completely overturned:
“Repeat last season's victory? I don't know, we'll see. I think the long wheelbase cars have done well here anyway, so I don't think that makes all that much difference. We're not suddenly sitting on a bus, you know. We think we have improved the car and, in the races we have done, the feeling has always been positive. I don't think the pace can make a big difference, but if it does, I don't think our car is that much longer than our rivals...”.
It is precisely at Monte-Carlo that the new Pirelli Hypersoft tyres will make their first race debut, but they should still be able to complete the entire Grand Prix:
“In the race we have never tried them, while during the Barcelona test it was too cold. We got our first ideas in Abu Dhabi and it was interesting because it's a faster and therefore more fun tyre. I don't think it lasts very long, but the wear here in Monaco is very low compared to a normal track. So they should be fine and faster, which is why I think a lot of people have chosen so many Hypersoft tyres”.
Also asked about Charles Leclerc's astounding form, the German Ferrari driver was unstinting in his praise for the talented young Monegasque:
“I don't think that, at his age, I had this kind of expectations of myself. But I had never won GP2, and I think the publicity he received was totally justified because he has already shown he is worthy of being here. If he hadn't been spoken well of, I don't understand who would have been spoken well of. The advice I can give him is not to listen, to continue on his path, to enjoy it and to think only about driving the fastest cars in the world and not about all the rumours that surround him”.
Speaking of market rumours, it is impossible not to answer the question about a possible landing of the Monegasque driver at Maranello, as early as 2019 as a replacement for Kimi Räikkönen:
“I am not the one to sign my teammate's contract, you have to ask Maurizio (Arrivabene, ed). But I don't see why not... For sure, Charles has more years ahead of him than we do, just look at the identity card. But I think that in the races he's had so far, he's already taken advantage of the opportunities he's had with a car that probably doesn't have the potential to score points. So he has already shown what he is worth”.
The final comment, however, is on the grid girls, who will once again appear on the grid at Monte-Carlo after being banned at the start of the season:
“The whole issue has been unnecessarily inflated. I don't think the grid girls were forced in the past, but I think they enjoyed what they were doing. I agree with Lewis, I think women are beautiful. If they were boys, I wouldn't care. To sum up, I am convinced that all the girls who have been grid girls in the past did it because they wanted to do it. I don't think there is any need to make too much drama about it”.
For his part, Charles Leclerc, present at the press conference alongside Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, does not hide his feelings:
“I am very excited, I have been waiting for this moment since childhood. I remember watching the Grand Prix from the exit of the first corner when I was four years old. I can't wait to drive here tomorrow, my home is on the finishing straight, so quite close to the track. Honestly, I am confused about my expectations at the moment. We expected a very difficult weekend in Barcelona and instead we reached Q2 and managed to score a point in the race. In Baku the crashes made it easier for us, but in Montmeló we did not expect such a performance, which was a very nice surprise for us. We keep our expectations low, because this is a circuit that requires a lot of load and can be one of our weak points”.
During the press conference, the Monegasque driver also gave his opinion on the Hypersoft tyres that will be used for the first time this weekend, and returned to the subject of Grid Girl:
“We have already tried the tyres a few times during testing. There is a very important performance jump between Ultra Soft and Hyper Soft, more than any other compound change, but the Hyper Soft is a pretty solid tyre. Anyway, we'll test it during free practice and see what to do in the race. As for the Grid Girl, I think it's good to get the girls back on track, even though I have a girlfriend and I shouldn't say that because I'll get in trouble. However, it's also good to have children, I'll bring my cousin for example”.
But attention must be paid to Daniel Ricciardo, who comes to Monte-Carlo with a great desire to return to the top step of the podium. On the other hand, the Monaco Grand Prix is one of those historically favourable ones for Red Bull Racing, which, even in recent years, has always performed well on the narrow streets of the Principality. And it is certainly no coincidence that, amid serious concern and a hint of pretence, even Toto Wolff has indicated the RB14 as one of the favourites for victory. An eventuality, this, acknowledged by Daniel Ricciardo himself.
“I think they are trying to take some pressure off themselves, maybe put it on us. But it's no secret that we have always done quite well here in Monte Carlo, so I think there will be a very close battle especially between us and the Ferraris. Then we will see where the Mercedes will be. I really love this feeling of coming to every racetrack and genuinely having a chance to fight for success. That's why I can't wait to get out on track and push the car to the limit, hoping of course that that will be enough to secure the win”.
The Australian driver's thoughts return for a moment to the ill-fated 2016 race, when a pit stop snatched away an otherwise easy victory:
“I have to get behind the wheel and win first place. This will not happen just because it should have happened two years ago. Here confidence is a determining factor and it is probably the circuit where, more than any other on the calendar, you can gain an extra tenth or even two just because you have good confidence with the car and can find a good rhythm. Even though we were very fast in the third sector in Barcelona, everyone will work on their cars to minimise that advantage. That's why I say that there is no guarantee that we will be the fastest. In any case, the DNA of our car is this. And certainly, this year's single-seater is better than the one from 2017”.
Two theories have recently emerged as to how Ferrari would be watched by the sport's governing body to clarify whether or not the hybrid power unit system used by the Maranello team is legal. There are those who speak of software and those who speak of hardware. Technically, even at a basic level, the two are quite distinct. It is therefore likely that the FIA has asked for and obtained a rather hasty change to be made by Ferrari, from one race to the next, making them vary the parameters of the software. All this while waiting for a better understanding of what seems to be a puzzle for the stewards: to understand how the batteries work and the actual possibility of them delivering more than the 4 megajoules per lap allowed by the regulations. The short power peaks detected in Baku based on GPS data would have fuelled the doubts of rivals, with 20bhp being quantified in qualifying for the two Maranello cars. No anomalies were reportedly detected in Barcelona in this regard, but as is well known, investigations into the matter had already begun before the Spanish Grand Prix. The technical characteristics of Ferrari's accumulators, divided into two separate elements within the battery pack since 2014, present nothing new in themselves. Logically, if you don't exploit them through the two outputs to power the ERS system in a different way from the prescribed one and thus get more thrust in terms of horsepower. A practice not impossible, not only for the Maranello team, but also for rival engine manufacturers, after a good four years of racing and as many years of studying hybrid systems, since KERS was first introduced in F1 in 2009.
To date, the FIA would not be able to ascertain whether the regulations have been broken and would therefore be continuously monitoring data from the first five Grands Prix. In case the FIA investigation does not reach any results, it is plausible that the investigation will be closed in Monte-Carlo. The monitoring of the data and no anomalies found afterwards, even in the face of the new software installed as a precaution by Ferrari, might be sufficient. The results of previous races have now been homologated, but if it comes to light with certainty that the team concerned has broken the rules, the FIA Court of Appeal could be asked to reopen the case. There are two main parties who can do this: either the Federation President Jean Todt, or a team that submits a formal complaint and induces the number one in the sport’s governing body to act. But as already mentioned, in this case, certain and tangible evidence is needed, which is currently lacking. While the stewards led by Charlie Whiting carry out their checks, the Monaco Grand Prix weekend begins on Thursday 24 May 2018 with the first practice session. During FP1, the two Red Bull Racing cars set the best times. Daniel Ricciardo leads his teammate, Max Verstappen, by around 0.1 seconds; the Australian sets a new track record, with a time 0.05 seconds lower than the previous limit. Max Verstappen makes a mistake under braking at the St. Devote corner. In order to get back on track, the Dutch driver reverses, but finds himself in the path of the other cars, also risking a collision with an oncoming car.
Lewis Hamilton set the third fastest time, ahead of the two Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, who were, however, a long way from the times set by the Anglo-Austrian cars. The tyres fitted by the Maranello cars show a high level of graining on the front tyres. Speaking of the other drivers, Sergej Sirotkin touches the guardrail in the straight area, but without causing any damage to the single-seater, while Fernando Alonso misses most of the session due to the need to repair the braking system on his McLaren. During FP2 Daniel Ricciardo lowered the limit even further, setting a new record. Once again, the Australian driver was ahead of his team-mate, Max Verstappen. In third place comes Sebastian Vettel, around 0.5 seconds behind the time set by Daniel Ricciardo. The session lasts 16 minutes less than planned, due to the need to close a manhole that has risen above the road level. On Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari, the team prefers not to replace the power unit, which was assumed after the problems Kimi Räikkönen had in the Barcelona race. Behind the German driver are Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen and Valtteri Bottas. Behind the three leading teams in the championship is Renault. Never as in Monte-Carlo, Red Bull Racing seems to have a real chance to get the first pole position of 2018. Daniel Ricciardo was ahead of teammate Max Verstappen in both sessions. The Australian looks like he can be competitive on both the fast lap and the race pace, and hopes to be just as strong on Saturday, when Ferrari and Mercedes usually manage to monopolise the leading positions thanks to special modes of their power units.
“We the favourites? We can say that we are. This circuit is beautiful, and when you are fast it is even better. With the Hypersofts it's even nicer, because you go even faster. Today we went down to 1'11"0, and that's a good feeling”.
On the winding streets of Monte-Carlo, pole position is of the utmost importance, and Ricciardo is aware of that:
“I hope we can take a chance for pole, I think we have a good opportunity. The Ferrari seems very fast to me for Saturday. I can't evaluate Mercedes, I don't know if they are at our and Ferrari's level. I think the top three teams are very close, it will be a great battle for pole position”.
However, Ferrari definitely needs to make up ground on Mercedes. For this reason, Sebastian Vettel narrowed the gap during the afternoon, stopping 0.5 seconds off the best time set by Daniel Ricciardo.
“I think it was a decent day. Monaco is always complicated with the traffic, we had red flags and then everyone jumped on the track so it was a mess. But overall it was OK, I'm not so happy with the second and last sector, but I have confidence in the car and I played a little bit. I was sliding a bit too much in those sectors, so we can do something better for sure. I don't think we got the best out of the tyres because of the traffic on our laps, but I think that's normal on a Thursday”.
On the Red Bulls, who could be allies for the Maranello team, but also a problem should they place ahead of Ferrari in qualifying and the race, Sebastian Vettel adds:
“For Saturday I think we will be very close, I wouldn't know how to choose a favourite because Red Bull looks strong, but it has often happened that they looked strong on Friday, so let's see”.
Speaking about the special characteristics of Monte-Carlo, the German driver said:
“It's a bit more fun here, the track is very demanding and so there is no margin for error, so you have to think twice before giving everything without any limits. But that's the essence of our work, I like driving here. As I said, I'm happy with the car, I could play a little bit, I had confidence, even if I was sliding a lot, I knew I wouldn't touch the barriers, and that's important. But now we have to try to understand why we were slipping and then we will definitely find some pace”.
Kimi Räikkönen returns to the streets of Monaco, where last year he obtained an exceptional pole position and a second place in the race, behind Sebastian Vettel, not without some regrets. On this first day of practice, the Finn was always behind his teammate, but with minimal gaps.
“Even though today is Thursday, it is the same as a normal Friday. It is a bit hard to say, because we have just finished and we have to go through everything. We tried various things and there are definitely things to improve, but as a test session it wasn't too bad. We found some traffic, but the feeling wasn't too bad. There is definitely room for improvement”.
The Finn won't compromise on the possible result of the weekend, but agrees with Sebastian Vettel when it comes to assessing the strength of Red Bull Racing:
“We'll see on Saturday, we've seen several practice sessions where some cars are faster on Friday and then struggle a bit in qualifying. So we'll wait and see what Saturday brings. It's impossible to say now”.
Ferrari is once again the focus of rivals' attention. This time it is the ERS of the power-unit mounted on the SF71-H that is under observation, so much so that the FIA will monitor the system throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, before analysing the data and making any judgements. The issue attracts everyone's attention, and of course it is also discussed in the press conference reserved for the team principals. Both Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are present, both of whom are particularly interested in the subject, and it is inevitable that they will talk about it. Says the British manager:
“I'm sure the FIA has all the expertise to be able to measure, administer and control the single-seater that is presented for scrutineering during a race weekend, and obviously it's up to the teams to make sure that happens. I think the FIA people are probably the best people to ask. We're not an engine supplier, so maybe Toto can answer more about the engine specification, but obviously there have been rumours that no doubt you've heard too”.
And Toto Wolff continues:
“Chris is absolutely right. We have arguments about legality that come up regularly. Some are more controversial, but it is the daily task of the FIA to check what the teams are doing. It is the teams' obligation to respect the regulations and this is an ongoing process. I have great confidence that whatever problems that may emerge, whether on the engine or the chassis, the FIA is on top of it. As far as I understand, this is a process that is taking place as we speak and we will see what the outcome will be”.
However, there is nothing illegal about the batteries in Ferrari's single-seater, as initially speculated by rumours that emerged through the German press. It would have been the Mercedes team itself that surfaced these rumours, but they did not make any official protest about it, as in fact they had nothing concrete to show for it. At the end of the ritual checks, the Federation's race director confirmed this, clarifying what is increasingly a big misunderstanding and one that could leave an unpleasant aftermath in the paddock even in view of the future. Charlie Whiting says:
“Now we are happy that everything is in order. The matter was exacerbated by unfounded accusations that swept through the paddock like wildfire. They came from a Ferrari engineer now at Mercedes, but his information should have been kept secret for the duration of his period of gardening leave. If we had a difficult case, we would have gone to the stewards, but we had nothing. If they (Mercedes) felt they had something substantial to question, they could have protested”.
The race director is said to have identified this engineer who has moved from Ferrari to Mercedes as Lorenzo Sassi, the former head of the Maranello team's engine department, and, more explosively, revealed that the matter was brought to the attention of the FIA by Mercedes technical director James Allison before the fourth race of the season in Baku. The revelation about Mercedes' involvement in the battery affair is likely to embarrass the Anglo-German team, as the latter is a close ally of Ferrari in the extensive debate regarding the 2021 rules. Charlie Whiting explains that the issue was so complex that he had to rely on the FIA's new engine expert, Frenchman Cedrik Staudohar, a former Honda and Renault engineer, to find answers:
“In Baku we had concerns that we could not explain. In Spain (the race that followed Baku, held a fortnight ago), Ferrari showed us things that helped us to answer our questions. First, we looked at the data, digging very deep. We had to understand whether Ferrari's explanations were valid. We never had any doubt that things were above the rules, but on Friday night we were convinced. Now, we have some pretty smart guys working for us who can spot these kinds of things. We'll probably ask Ferrari to implement new hardware in the next few races to make it easier to monitor, but here in Monaco we have a system that allows us to determine what's going on without an additional sensor”.
Ending the traditional rest day in Monte-Carlo on Saturday, 26th May 2018, Daniel Ricciardo is also the fastest driver during FP3, with a further improvement on the lap record. The Australian beats his teammate, Max Verstappen, by 0.001 seconds. The Dutch Red Bull Racing driver is the author of a mistake at the Pools; following the impact against the barriers the car is badly damaged. He was followed by the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, the two Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, and the two Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers, Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley. As mentioned, Sebastian Vettel set the third best time, more than 0.2 seconds behind Daniel Ricciardo, while the Mercedes drivers struggled. Among other things, the Anglo-German cars have their front suspension replaced, following vibrations suffered on Thursday. Max Verstappen's car cannot be repaired in time for qualifying, so he does not take part in the session, and will start last.
The gearbox and, later, the MGU-K are also replaced on his car, for which the Dutchman also suffers the virtual penalty of fifteen positions on the grid. The times set by the drivers are very close, so much so that with 7 minutes to go in Q1 the time of the second, Kimi Räikkönen, is only 0.7 seconds better than that of the first of the drivers who would be eliminated, namely Brendon Hartley. Valtteri Bottas also risked elimination, who only at the last attempt climbed to third position. Daniel Ricciardo still sets the best time, moving into first place in the standings, ahead of Sebastian Vettel. In addition to the aforementioned Max Verstappen, Brendon Hartley, Marcus Ericsson, Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen are also eliminated. In Q2 Daniel Ricciardo again sets a track record, beating Sebastian Vettel by 0.1 seconds and Kimi Räikkönen by 0.5 seconds. Still presenting difficulties for the Mercedes, which until five minutes from the end of the session still found themselves with insufficient times for passage to Q3. Subsequently, both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas climb the rankings, entering the top five. Kimi Räikkönen is only able to improve on the limit set by Daniel Ricciardo temporarily, as the Australian lowers the track limit again. Nico Hülkenberg, Stoffel Vandoorne, Sergej Sirotkin, Charles Leclerc and Romain Grosjean are eliminated. In Q3, after Carlos Sainz Jr.'s first time, it is Lewis Hamilton who sets the track record, but this is almost immediately improved by Daniel Ricciardo, who brings the limit under 1'11"0. Kimi Räikkönen is 0.005 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton. Then, however, Sebastian Vettel moves up into third position. In the second attempt Sebastian Vettel manages to complete a better lap than Lewis Hamilton, who does not improve. Daniel Ricciardo also does not improve but takes pole position. For the Australian it is the second career pole position start in the World Championship; the first had been achieved, again at the Monaco track, in 2016. In his last attempt Daniel Ricciardo stopped 0.036 seconds off his time, which is also the track record at the Principality, of which he thus also holds the second best performance ever.
“It went well all weekend. In every session we've been the fastest, it's a bit like 2016, we came into this race knowing we had a real chance to fight for pole and knowing because of the way the car had gone in the first few races, that if we got things all right here, we could be up front. We didn't change much in the car over the weekend, it was pretty straightforward. I built my lap step by step and found my rhythm. I also had a lot of fun, I love this circuit, it's a great pleasure to drive here. Doing 1'10"0 was so much fun, it was fantastic! And the guys and girls in the team did a good job”.
The Australian also spoke about the mistake made by his teammate, which relegated him to last place on the grid:
“Here the margin between risk and reward is very thin, as was demonstrated this morning. But it is one of those situations that can happen, they are in the corner of the brain. Knowing we had a very good package, we knew we had to push, but not to go overboard, to set stakes and move cleanly within them. We pushed each other a lot and it's no surprise that these things can happen. We did laps in 1'10"0 and 1'11"0, and it's normal that there is very little margin for error. Free practice is about getting confidence, he made the wrong approach and he will be destroyed, his weekend is now destroyed”.
Later, after leaving the press conference room, Daniel Ricciardo adds:
“I had a lot of confidence this weekend, already since Wednesday. I really like this circuit, and with this car it's nice to tackle it. Every session I wanted to go fast, that was my goal. I wanted to see myself at the top in every session. So far I have done it, tomorrow we have the last 50 per cent to complete a perfect weekend. So far there has been no rain - it will be quiet. I don't have to say anything to the team, they have done a great job. I have confidence they can continue tomorrow at 3:10 p.m.”.
Finally, one last curiosity, Ricciardo was seen talking on the phone immediately after taking pole position. Who was it?
“It was boss Dietrich (Mateschitz, owner of Red Bull Racing). He was happy, it was a good chat”.
Red Bull Racing, at least with Daniel Ricciardo, confirms that it is the car to beat on the winding roads of Monaco. Sebastian Vettel was unable to improve on the record time set by the Australian in his first attempt at Q3. Nevertheless, the German driver says he is satisfied with his work:
“I was quite happy, there is always the feeling that I could do something more, but I don't think I could have threatened Daniel's time today. Clearly if you look back, you think about what you could do better, but hats off because Daniel did a great qualifying session. We played around with the set-up quite a bit, trying to squeeze as much potential out of the car as possible, because we knew we had it and we could maybe get on the front row. So, I think what we got was a good position. They were strong on Thursday and this morning; we will see what we can do in the race”.
Analysing the performance specifically, Sebastian Vettel singles out two key points: the St. Devote corner, which gave him some problems as well as to Kimi Räikkönen, and the last sector, where the difference to Red Bull Racing was always obvious.
“I think they were simply a little bit faster. All weekend they were faster than us. We knew they would be strong here, it's a track where downforce is important and they have a lot of it on their car. That's no excuse, in the end we were close, but not fast enough to take first place. I'm happy, but not completely, we could have done a little bit more for my personal satisfaction, but it probably wasn't enough to beat Daniel. That first corner today I couldn't do it the way I wanted, but the rest, especially the last lap, was good. It was a complicated session to get the tyres right. If we look at where the Red Bulls are very strong, it's especially towards the end of the lap, where they have grip that we lack”.
Looking ahead to the race, the German driver shows himself ready to battle for victory:
“The front row is good, the pole even better. We have to concentrate on the start, then we will keep an open mind, it will be a long race, it's a different game tomorrow than today, so we will see”.
Lewis Hamilton managed to qualify in third position, despite the fact that the characteristics of the Mercedes do not match those of the Monaco track. And to say that the British driver could even have been aiming for the front row, but on the last fast lap he made a small mistake in the third sector that ruined his chances of overtaking Sebastian Vettel again.
“I'm pleased with my first attempt in Q3, it made me happy. In the last one, however, I had an advantage of about a tenth, but then I lost something in the last sector, so I'm not entirely happy. It wouldn't have been enough for pole, but maybe it would have made enough of a difference for second place. I can't be completely happy, but the race will be long. I did as much as I could, but we will try to fight and we are in a good position to do that”.
The Briton denies suffering any inconvenience with his car, simply admitting that he had a lesser performing car than his rivals:
“It was a good session. We knew we would not be the fastest here, but we still did the best we could. I'm a little behind them, but I didn't have any particular problems. I like to think I made a little difference today and that gave me the position I got".
And adds:
"I could have done a little bit more, but that was it. I have no idea about what might happen in the race, because tomorrow will simply be an unknown. We don't know how the tyres will go, how the temperatures will be, how we and the others will go with the tyres. It could be a boring procession, it could be an exciting race with lots of twists and turns. Maybe there could even be more than one stop”.
Also decisive for the final qualifying result was Kimi Räikkönen's failure to improve on his second and final attempt in Q3. In this regard, the Finn has no clear explanation as to why:
“I think if we knew all the answers, we wouldn't even have to talk about it, I guess. We struggled a little bit with getting the tyres right from the first corner and basically improving as the lap went on. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I made a little mistake in Turn 1 and at this circuit you have to know exactly what's going on to understand”.
Kimi Räikkönen thus remained 0.034 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton:
“Bwoah, that's the gap, obviously we are not 100 % happy with the way things went. We know we are not as happy as we should be, because we expected a different lap. But here all it takes is a small difference in confidence to have a bigger gap”.
As far as the race is concerned, the Finnish driver is not giving an opinion on the possible key factor to at least try to get on the podium:
“I don't know, it's impossible to verify everything. We have to see what will happen tomorrow, we will try to do the right things at the right time”.
His compatriot, Valtteri Bottas, on the other hand, was unable to go beyond fifth position in Monte-Carlo:
“Let's say the balance was decent. But we lacked grip, the car kept slipping. I thought that if I went a bit fast, I would have hit the wall. So I limited myself a little bit”.
Speaking then about the unprofitable choice of trying to get through Q2 on Ultrasoft tyres, less competitive but longer lasting than Hypersofts, Valtteri Bottas stated:
“We tried, but the pace was not good enough to make it. It would have been a good idea to allow us to do a longer stint at the start of the race, but we had to use the Hypersofts”.
However, even if the choice of Mercedes - the only one among the top teams to try the Ultrasofts in Q2 - did not go well, Valtteri Bottas is not discouraged ahead of the race, aware that he still has chances to play also thanks to the possible entry of the Safety car, which is historically almost always deployed in the Principality:
“We start from fifth position, but anything can happen in Monte Carlo. But the race is tomorrow, we will not give up”.
Out of the front runners was Max Verstappen, who made a mistake during FP3 and damaged his car. Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner said:
“He crashed violently in a session that was only useful to refine the set-up. He drives a car capable of winning races and this will hurt him even more, you don't get many opportunities to win the Monaco Grand Prix. He has to learn from this and stop making mistakes: he knows better than anyone else”.
Asked about the competitiveness of his team, the British manager is confident of the chances of a good result:
“We have a very good car, Max is an exceptionally fast driver and he would have fought for pole position today, that's for sure. For the team, to only have one car fighting for the win is a shame, but I have to congratulate the guys, they did their best to allow him to take part in qualifying”.
Further complicating the Dutch driver's situation was the need to change the gearbox, something the team only realised after starting the engine:
“We started the engine and realised there was an oil leak, that was it”.
As far as he is concerned, however, Toto Wolff knows perfectly well that Mercedes cannot play the role of main favourite for victory here in Monte-Carlo:
“We came to Monaco expecting that this would be a track on which we would not be so comfortable. But with the aim already at the start to limit the damage, this was a good result. We start from third and fifth place, also helped by two good laps from Lewis and Valtteri. So we cannot be satisfied, but nevertheless I am satisfied for other reasons. In Q2 we tried something alternative, fitting the Ultrasofts, but the grip did not prove to be what we wanted. In hindsight we were a bit optimistic, but at least, even if it didn't work, we tried something different. Looking ahead to the race, everyone knows that this is a long, hard race with very few opportunities to make up positions. The pace will be managed by those on the front row, so we will have to try to get a good start and then see what progress can be made. We will try, as I said, to limit the damage and take every opportunity that comes our way”.
Mercedes' chief engineer Andrew Shovlin explains that, despite the difficulties with the tyres, the two cars performed as well as they could in terms of performance. Problems also came in the early stages from traffic, which led Valtteri Bottas to qualify with some anxiety for Q2.
“At that moment we struggled to find clear track conditions and so it took us a few laps to put together a decent time. Going into Q2 we knew we didn't have the fastest car, so we tried an alternative strategy, but as you saw, it didn't work. In Q3, the smaller number of cars on the track made life a little easier and here both drivers were quite happy with the balance. On a perfect day, Lewis could have made the front row, but he had to push to the limit to make his time and in the last sector the rear tyres lost grip. So although there is still work to be done to increase performance, we are happy to have found the right set-up on this track and in the most difficult qualifying session of the year”.
On Sunday, 27th May 2018, the start of the Monaco Grand Prix is regular, with Daniel Ricciardo taking the lead, followed by Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon. At the back of the field Max Verstappen, who started last, is able to gain several positions, while Sergej Sirotkin is penalised with a drive-through for the delay in fixing the tyres when the car was on the grid. On lap nine, the other Williams driver, Lance Stroll, slows down due to a puncture and is forced to make a pit stop. On lap 12, Lewis Hamilton anticipates his stop, fitting Ultrasoft tyres. When he re-enters the track, the Briton passes Esteban Ocon, just after the tunnel. Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas also pitted between laps 16 and 17. But the classification does not change. Around lap 28 Daniel Ricciardo's car has power problems, which allow Sebastian Vettel to get closer to the Australian. However, the German does not have enough speed to attack the race leader, which also brings Lewis Hamilton closer to the two. Valtteri Bottas has meanwhile also closed in on Kimi Räikkönen. On lap 47 Max Verstappen also pits, to make his stop; the Dutchman drops out of the top ten. Three laps later Nico Hülkenberg also pits, climbing to tenth position. Lap 52 sees the end of the race for Fernando Alonso, who is forced to retire with a gearbox failure while battling with Pierre Gasly for sixth place. Carlos Sainz Jr. makes his team-mate, Nico Hülkenberg, pass him for eighth place. The Spaniard tries thus to protect him from the arrival of Max Verstappen. But the Dutch driver passes the Spaniard on lap 57, after the tunnel, and takes the position. The race remains with frozen positions until lap 70, when Charles Leclerc crashes into Brendon Hartley after the tunnel: both are forced to retire. Race direction imposes the virtual safety car. At the end of it, Daniel Ricciardo sees his lead over Sebastian Vettel widen. Daniel Ricciardo wins the Monaco Grand Prix and takes his seventh World Championship victory, followed by Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Räikkönen is fourth, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. At the end of the race, the first one won in Monaco in Formula 1, the Australian driver celebrated with the customary shoey, in which he also involves Adrian Newey.
“On the lap when I felt the problem, I thought I would have to retire. For five to ten seconds, I was almost gutted, I was very sad because I was thinking about two years ago when I had done my best, the start and everything. When I heard that, I'm not superstitious, I don't believe in bad luck or anything like that, I thought that. It was not a good moment”.
But then the problem remained, without however getting worse, and Daniel Ricciardo managed to win his first race in Monaco starting from one of the first three positions. The previous six victories were always obtained with a comeback, starting from fourth position or even higher.
“I am exhausted it was a long weekend, but it felt so good to win this race. I was looking forward to the end. When I had the problem coming out of a corner, I heard a noise and thought the worst, but then we changed a lot of settings and managed to survive”.
The victory postpones the market talk of recent days that distanced Daniel from Red Bull, bringing him closer to Ferrari, that was beaten on track today.
“Maybe I have more love now. I spoke with my team on Friday. They want to leave me calm, after this win, the second in six races, well... that's good for me and for my negotiations. But for now, let's celebrate, I'll drink a little tonight, I have many friends here. They have already been drinking for the last four days, but tonight is my turn”.
After winning in 2017, Sebastian Vettel had to settle for second place in this Monaco Grand Prix:
“I think we had the pace. It was a complicated race though; I think Daniel had the answers at all times. In the first stint I could follow him quite easily, then he was a little bit stronger, we couldn't follow him and the tyres wore out quickly. In the next stint he had a problem with the engine I think, towards the middle of it, but then he recovered and at the restart after the VSC I didn't have enough confidence in the tyres because otherwise I would have tried to put pressure on him until the end”.
In contrast to the disastrous 2017 Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton managed to reduce the gap on his rivals. In qualifying, the World Champion took third place, a position confirmed at the finish line at the end of a race in which he was never able to play a leading role. Lewis Hamilton, in fact, could do no more than drive the W09 to the finish line managing graining problems. The World Championship leader, however, retains a 14-point lead over Sebastian Vettel:
“I think this was definitely the worst race for us, I'm pretty sure. The race was quite easy on one side, but difficult on another, because we had to make the tyres last a lot. But from the energy point of view it wasn't difficult, because we didn't push at all. So, it was quite boring actually. Daniel did a great job and I'm happy for him. To go fast here in Monaco we would have to radically change the car, but it wouldn't be worth it”.
As is often the case in Monte-Carlo, there was no chance for Valtteri Bottas to even attempt an overtake, so the Mercedes driver had to settle for holding fifth place at the finish. With the ten points gained, Valtteri Bottas climbs to 68.
“This is Monaco, often many things happen, but other times nothing happens. And today we had an almost uneventful race. I think the choice to use the Supersofts for my second stint was the correct one, because I felt they worked better than the Ultrasofts. The first stint was tricky because of the degradation of the Hypersofts, but in the second part I was able to put pressure on the cars in front. I had a better pace than the cars in front of me, but there was nothing I could do. Overtaking was impossible, even with a difference in pace. We knew the weekend could be difficult, and it was, and we managed to limit the damage. Qualifying fifth didn't make my race easy, and I don't think I could have done anything different with the car we had today. In Montreal our car should make up ground, so hopefully it will be better”.
Scuderia Ferrari's team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, honestly points out that it was a more complicated weekend than in 2017:
“This race weekend, compared to a year ago, had appeared more difficult from the start. But thanks to the work of the whole team, the SF71H gradually improved, to the point of securing second position in qualifying; which, however, on a circuit like this, did not allow for an even better result in the race”.
Sebastian Vettel was never able to attack Daniel Ricciardo, despite the technical problem that slowed the Australian, who was running with 25% less power. And after the entrance of the Virtual Safety Car, the German gradually lost ground, accumulating a gap of over seven seconds in just a few laps, due to the difficulty of getting the tyres up to temperature. The Italian manager points out that the race strategy was to attempt an attack in the final laps:
“Like everyone else, we had studied a one-stop strategy, which called for saving the tyres in the second stint, so that we could exploit them in the final laps. During them, however, given the intervention of the Virtual Safety Car, it was not possible to attack”.
Max Verstappen managed an excellent ninth place, which increases the regret for what could have happened without the mistake made in FP3. Still, the Dutch driver reveals that he did not enjoy himself:
“It was a boring race at times, because it's difficult to follow those in front of you and try to overtake them, they are always trying to defend their position. You try to overtake, but with so much aerodynamic load here it is difficult to do that, we are on a track where it is very easy to make mistakes. In any case, we tried to make the most of the result today, we succeeded and I also did some good overtaking. Of course I'm disappointed with what happened on Saturday. But I can't change that, so I have to look at the positives. We have a great car, we knew we would have it here. It's a shame we can't show this potential at every track because of the deficit we have in top speeds. But it was a positive weekend for our performance. I had a good time today, obviously it's not the position I wanted to finish in, but when you start from last place you have to try your best to make a comeback and we did that”.
After what happened on Saturday morning, many advised Max Verstappen to race with less eagerness and learn to spare himself in certain circumstances.
“The big lesson I learned is to stay away from the walls. But it's very difficult to explain it, because in qualifying when you are really on the limit and you go against the wall it's painful, but you gave everything. I had a little problem with concentration, so I hit the inside wall and that was a shame”.
Red Bull Racing's team principal Christian Horner reveals that Daniel Ricciardo's race was in danger of coming to an end because of the engine failure, which the team's engineers claim would cause the car to retire within a couple of laps. On the advice of the team, the Australian upped the pace of the race, but managed to avoid being overtaken by his rivals and to finish the race victoriously.
“After 18 laps we lost the MGU-K, and that cost us about two seconds a lap. They informed me over the radio that we would have to retire the car in one or two laps. I said: Look, we are leading the Monaco Grand Prix, let's keep going”.
He continues:
“Unbelievable. Ricciardo had a great race, he drove without 25% engine power, and this also affected the temperatures under braking. He had to keep the car 'fresh', with Vettel's breath on his neck, he couldn't make any mistakes. The chassis was fantastic, even faster than Lewis Hamilton without the MGU-K, so I sent Adrian Newey to the podium. Daniel is an important part of our team, he is now a true all-round driver, and you can tell by his calmness when something goes wrong. I couldn't praise him enough for this victory, which came after the disappointment of 2016. I am proud of him. He has won the same races this season as Vettel and Hamilton, there is still a long way to go but we have a great car”.
Max Verstappen finished in ninth, so the British manager congratulates him:
“He did well today, he finished behind Hülkenberg and Gasly, he drove in a controlled manner and we needed that. It's been a very difficult 24 hours for him, I'm convinced he will arrive in Montreal with a different mindset”.
At the end of a race that saw Esteban Ocon very competitive, the French driver is extremely happy. The Monaco Grand Prix, however, saw him involved in a controversial incident.
“I am very very happy. The car was perfect this race. We were faster than everybody in the race, at the end I was very close with Bottas and Räikkönen, we were even faster than them. I am very happy for the team, we did a very good job, I have to do even more in the next races”.
However, there was an unclear episode when Lewis Hamilton overtook, which appeared very easy on a track where overtaking is difficult. Therefore, at the end of the Grand Prix a question about that moment is inevitable:
“I'm a Mercedes driver, you have to ask the boss. There was no point fighting with him, he was also in front and had already pitted, he had new tyres... that's how it is”.
Asked even more specifically about the possible presence of an unwritten rule whereby, in the event of a fight for position with an official driver of the Anglo-German team, he must give way to them, the talented youngster smiles unequivocally, hinting at a kernel of truth in this insinuation:
“Eh, maybe...”.
Ultimately, the Monaco Grand Prix ends with the second victory of the season by Red Bull Racing and Daniel Ricciardo, who manages to redeem himself after losing the race in 2016 due to a mistake by the Anglo-Austrian team's engineers. At last, the Australian was able to triumph in the Principality, taking away this huge feat and climbing to third place in the Drivers' World Championship standings. A classification that still sees Lewis Hamilton in the lead, with 110 points, followed by Sebastian Vettel, who follows with 96 points. As for the Constructors' World Championship, Mercedes manages to defend itself well in Monte-Carlo and remains in the lead, with 178 points, against Scuderia Ferrari's 156. It was precisely the Maranello team's cars that were subject to investigations, concerning a possible incorrect use of the hybrid part of the power unit, from which, however, no responsibility emerged. The investigations also continue in Montreal, the venue of the next Canadian Grand Prix, to be held on Sunday, 10th June 2018. A race that will see the cars produced in Maranello as the favourites.