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On Sunday, May 26, 2024, the Monaco Grand Prix will take place at the Monte-Carlo circuit in the Principality of Monaco. This event represents the eighth race of the Formula 1 World Championship. Present in the Formula 1 World Championship calendar since the inaugural edition in 1950 and valid as a race of the category since the same year, the Monaco Grand Prix sees the 81st edition being contested, the 70th valid for the world championship. The first edition, not valid for the world championship, was held on April 14, 1929, under the impetus of local sports executive Antony Noghès, founder of the Automobile Club de Monaco. Along with the British, Swiss, Belgian, French, and Italian Grands Prix, including one edition of the Indianapolis 500 that counted towards the championship, the Monaco race was one of the events that characterized the calendar of the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship. The Monte-Carlo circuit has always been the sole venue for the event, with eight different configurations, the most recent of which has been in use since the 2015 season . The circuit in the Principality, hosting a race valid for the Formula 1 World Championship for the 70th time in the history of the category, is second only to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, with 73 races, the venue of the Italian Grand Prix, for the most editions held in Formula 1 history. It is the shortest of all the circuits currently used in the world championship, measuring 3.337 kilometers, and the one with the lowest speeds due to the winding nature of the course and the narrow track, almost entirely lacking run-off areas. Drivers complete 78 laps, totaling 260.286 kilometers, compared to the usual 305 kilometers required for other events. The Monaco Grand Prix was not held in the 1951 season due to budget issues and a lack of regulations in the category, in 1953 and 1954 because the vehicle regulations were not finalized in Formula 1, and in the 2020 season due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the short time available to set up the street circuit. For this Grand Prix, Pirelli, the sole tire supplier, offers the choice between C3, C4, and C5 tires, the softest compounds in the entire range provided by the tire supplier. Since the 2019 edition of the Grand Prix, Pirelli has always set the same type of tires for this event, given the characteristics of the street circuit, which do not involve high tire degradation. Meanwhile, the FIA has established the traditional DRS zone along the main straight of the pits, where drivers can activate the DRS.
The detection point, which determines the gap between drivers necessary to allow the use of the device, is set after turn 16. Since the introduction of the movable device in Formula 1 during the 2011 season, the Monte-Carlo circuit has been one of the few tracks used in the Formula 1 World Championship calendar where only one DRS zone is used. During the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the movable device, according to the technical regulations, could be opened throughout the track during practice sessions and qualifying, but in the case of the Monte-Carlo circuit, the FIA prohibited its use in points that could endanger driver safety, such as under the tunnel. For this event, the minimum speed to be maintained in the pit lane is set at 60 km/h. The FIA establishes that if drivers use the escape route at the chicane of turn 10 and turn 11, they can rejoin the track only when the lights, operated on-site by the marshal, turn green. Compared to the 2023 edition, the circuit has undergone some modifications. The track has been resurfaced from the exit of turn 4 to the entrance of turn 6, from the exit of turn 6 to the entrance of turn 10, and from the exit of turn 19 to the exit of turn 1. The fences between turn 13 and turn 15 on the left side have been updated with the top part angled at 45°. At Monte-Carlo, McLaren will present a special livery featuring green, yellow, and blue colors dedicated to Ayrton Senna, the driver with the most wins at the Monaco Grand Prix, with six victories. McLaren also raced with special liveries in the 2021 and 2023 editions. In the first case, they raced with a livery characterized by their classic orange, combined with the blue of the Gulf Oil sponsor, while in the second, they raced with a celebratory livery to honor the victories achieved between 1974 and 1995 in the Indianapolis 500, the Monaco Grand Prix, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a recognition called the Triple Crown, as part of the team's 60th-anniversary celebrations. McLaren arrives in Monaco as a protagonist and potential favorite for victory after triumphing in Miami and nearly winning in Imola. Consequently, Lando Norris is eager to start the weekend.
"Monaco up next! It's one of the most challenging weekends on the calendar. It's not the easiest track to overtake, but qualifying here is one of the most exciting challenges in motorsport. It's all about hitting the ground running and building confidence right from FP1. It felt good to be able to fight for the win in Imola, so we have so much potential moving forward. Monaco will also be a special race for us as we will be racing in a tribute livery to Senna. It looks amazing, and I can't wait to race around this special track in it".
For his teammate, Oscar Piastri, racing in Monaco in the colors representing the legend of Ayrton Senna will be a real honor:
"It's going to be an honour to race around the streets of Monaco in our special Senna livery. He was a master of this track with six victories and it's important to pay tribute to such a role model of our sport. I have also come up with a special helmet design and I'll be auctioning off one of my helmets to raise funds for the Ayrton Senna Institute, which does such great work in providing opportunities and transforming lives. The past two race weekends in Miami and Imola have been amongst my strongest in F1 and it's an exciting prospect to be heading to Monaco with good momentum".
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, after recent performances does not deny that the British team is among the favorites for victory in Monte-Carlo:
"We go into the Monaco Grand Prix with another podium finish. We're seeing consistent results and fights for wins, which is a good place to be. Monaco is an interesting circuit, as we know it's more difficult to make up positions in the race, so we need to once again qualify strong. However, it's not impossible. Monaco is also a special place for McLaren. We won many races here in the past with Ayrton Senna, so it's only fitting that we pay tribute to him here by racing in a very special livery inspired by his helmet".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal and CEO, although he knows that his cars are not the favorites for victory in Monaco, he approaches the race weekend with enthusiasm, as he is convinced that the Anglo-German cars have progressed:
"The small step forward we took in Imola was encouraging. The team has worked incredibly hard to bring our recent updates to the track, and it was a clear performance gain. That being said, others have improved too. We are still a step behind the front three teams therefore, and there is plenty of work still to do. Nevertheless, we have a clear direction and developments in the pipeline. We have a more solid platform to build on now and we are confident that, in time, we can get ourselves into the pack ahead. That work continues this weekend in Monaco. It is a unique circuit and a fantastic challenge for the team and drivers. It is always hard to predict expected performance, but we will look to execute a clean weekend and maximise the car we have. It is always a special weekend, and we look forward to putting on a good show for the fans, and our partners and guests across our extensive hospitality programme in Monte-Carlo".
On the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, however, Lewis Hamilton explains that the team will not bring any additional updates, so they will work with the material at hand. However, the British driver fails to make a prediction as to whether the car will be competitive:
"We don't have updates for this weekend; essentially, we've spread the package between Miami and Imola. For this weekend, we'll have a maximum downforce setup, but so will everyone else, and an evolved rear wing. We don't know where we'll truly stand this weekend, but I definitely have more confidence compared to the last two editions, which we faced with less impressive cars. This is a work in progress, and I hope it's a clear step forward compared to last year at least. This car is much more predictable and enjoyable to drive compared to the last two. It's not perfect yet, but it's moving in the right direction, and the operating window is expanding. As a child, I watched races on TV and dreamed of speeding through the tunnel like Ayrton Senna did, and even today, I think it's surreal to be among the 20 who can do it in a Formula 1 car. It's a special weekend; we're in the second smallest state in the world: it's a gem of our sport".
George Russell goes into more technical detail, explaining what work was done to remedy the lack of balance found at the beginning of the season:
"The car is more balanced throughout the lap now. Initially, we struggled a lot on tracks with low-speed corners. We've made progress compared to Red Bull and the rest of the grid, but it's fair to say Ferrari and McLaren have also made a similar step forward. We need to keep working at full throttle to bring updates as quickly as possible. Monaco is very demanding, with many factors that can disrupt plans, so this weekend we need to find the ideal setup to exploit the track in the best way possible. There's a margin of three seconds between qualifying pace and the fastest times in practice, so we need to find the rhythm and adapt to conditions on Saturday. Sometimes it's sunny and then pouring rain, and if these things happen, they'll add a bit of spice. Early in the season, we struggled with pace between high and low speeds, so we need to find a balance that allows us to exploit the circuit's characteristics, but we expect to be more competitive".
Speaking of the driver's market, the British driver is once again open to any kind of teammate for the next season, even mentioning Andrea Kimi Antonelli:
"He's a fantastic driver, currently racing in Formula 2 but will arrive in F1 in the future. He's one of our junior drivers, and seeing him rise through the team ranks would be a great opportunity to build the future of Mercedes, but I would welcome anyone as a teammate. Right now, I already have a strong one, and anyone is welcome".
Scuderia Ferrari approaches the Monaco race weekend after completing numerous hours of simulator testing. Carlos Sainz Jr., in particular, draws a line on the work to be done im test to prepare the car for the race:
"Getting more and confident on track, making the most of every minute of free practice is vitally important here, because doing lots of laps allows you to get used to the walls and barriers which you have to brush if you want to set a competitive lap time. This season we have not been the best in slow corners, which we were last year, but it’s true that it’s all very close between us, Red Bull and McLaren and that will probably be even more the case here. I think we will be at the front and if we do everything well, we have a good chance. And when I say do everything well, I mean finding the right mechanical grip, getting the balance right and managing to get the tyres into the correct operating window. We have worked in the simulator, going into all the details and I believe if we put all the pieces of the puzzle together, we are in with a chance. But it’s vital to have a trouble-free Friday".
In Monte-Carlo, winning the pole position is crucial. Charles Leclerc knows this well, and in fact he focuses his attention especially on this detail on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix:
"With these cars, overtaking is increasingly more difficult, so I expect it will be a very close fight for the number one slot on Saturday. So far this season, we have never managed to be quickest in qualifying, but I think this is a track where the driver can still make a difference and find a few hundredths that could mean getting pole. The key is to do as many laps as possible as you would do at a kart track, gradually getting more and more confident until you get to a point where you can tackle some of the corners almost on autopilot. That’s when you and the car are at maximum potential and you can produce that flat-out lap to be ahead of everyone. It’s very important to get a good start to the weekend in Friday’s free practice".
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP, knows perfectly well that this Grand Prix is hugely important for its top driver, Charles Leclerc. Not surprisingly, the team has devoted more attention to race preparation, working in the simulator:
"A few days ago, it was our home race in Imola and this weekend, Charles will be on home turf in Monaco, a race that is unfinished business for him and we’d like to help him put it to bed. Carlos also loves racing in the Principality, where he took his first podium at the wheel of a Ferrari, so they are both very motivated. It’s generally accepted that, with the current generation of cars, overtaking is harder here than at any other track on the calendar, which means qualifying takes on even greater importance than usual. We will therefore be looking to make a step forward in this discipline, as so far this season we have lacked what it takes to be quickest of all. With this in mind, we have been working hard in the simulator and during engineering meetings, preparing everything down to the smallest detail and we fully intend to be front-runners".
Both McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari are ready for the challenge. Recent races have also showcased the improvements made on their cars. The Red Bull Racing drivers know this well, and in fact they are not letting their guard down. Especially Sergio Perez, who on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix admits:
"The pressure from McLaren and Ferrari is noticeable, as their pace has improved both in race trim and qualifying, but I think it's good because we'll see strong performances from drivers and teams. Now everyone is under pressure, not just Red Bull, and I think that's a positive thing. We're heading into a Grand Prix with three, maybe four teams that have a chance of winning. I always keep my negotiations private because there are many people involved, and that's how it should be. Once I can announce something, you'll be the first to know".
Max Verstappen arrives in Monte-Carlo aware that his car is a poor match for the characteristics of the street circuit. And, in fact, the Dutch driver says:
"Monaco is completely different from Imola, and looking at the track, it probably won't be our best circuit because our car typically struggles with bumps and curbs. We've worked on it a bit, and so far, I think our performance in low-speed corners has improved on nearly every track we've been to. I don't expect it to be an easy weekend: Monaco is never straightforward, even when you expect to have the best car, because it's a very complex track to get everything working right. There can be red flags and other events that can disrupt plans. Things can go right but also wrong, so we need to be on top of it. Imola started very poorly, but we managed to turn it around. I wouldn't want to relive a weekend like that because it's very stressful and not enjoyable, but we know this is one of the toughest tracks for us. We'll see where we stand starting from tomorrow. Ferrari has always been strong here in recent years, and McLaren has made significant strides in performance in the last two races and will be ones to watch. Monaco can bring surprises: Ocon did a fantastic lap in qualifying last year, and unexpected things can happen when someone feels good and has a lot of confidence. After Miami, it was clear that everyone had closed in on us. Imola wasn't the easiest weekend, and Monaco will depend on who can find the best setup, but the field has definitely tightened up. It's crucial for us to be at 100%, and that's not always realistic, but we always strive to reach a certain level. In recent races, perhaps we haven't achieved that level, but we try again every weekend to find the best possible setup. It's clear that others are closing in. In Monaco, it's difficult to put everything together and take pole position; I don't want to look too far ahead. So far, qualifying has gone very well for me, and obviously, I'll aim for pole, but here it's never guaranteed".
Fernando Alonso is one of the few drivers who managed to triumph in Monaco. The Spanish driver of the Aston Martin knows very well how important it is to qualify well on this circuit, despite not having the best car in the group at the moment:
"Here, qualifying is different and special: it's one of the most beautiful moments of the season, but the whole weekend is actually special. The only bad day is Sunday because there isn't much you can do and it can be boring, as you just have to bring the car home".
The spaniard driver adds:
"But already in free practice, everything becomes interesting because the circuit evolves, and you have to guess the grip that will be there gradually and the changes to make with the setup. Qualifying is the only one of the season where in the corners you go at speeds you've never reached before in the rest of the weekend, and the adrenaline is very high. There are sponsors, VIPs: until Sunday, it's the best weekend of the year. Last year, we had more hopes, while this year we've had ups and downs. However, we finished third in qualifying in China a month ago. If we can repeat that result on Saturday, things can go well. We're still optimistic about having a good weekend. I have a good feeling this weekend. We're not going in blind. However, the simulator forgives things that the track does not. When you put theoretical numbers in, you tend to perform better. The simulator is a great tool, essential for engineers, and very useful for learning a track or other aspects, but it's still not the real car".
On Friday, May 24, 2024, before the start of the first free practice session, Max Verstappen's car had its second energy recovery system unit installed, while Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg had their second electronic control unit installed. None of the three drivers received penalties since the new components used were within the maximum limit allowed by the technical regulations. During the first free practice session, Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap time. The British driver from Mercedes clocked a time that was over one second slower than Max Verstappen's pole position time from the 2023 edition. Behind Hamilton, Oscar Piastri finished second, followed by George Russell, both also driving for Mercedes. Charles Leclerc, in fifth place, was the top driver using only Medium tires. Towards the end of the session, Leclerc's Ferrari sustained minor damage to the floor after running over debris left by Zhou Guanyu's Spike F1 Team car. The session was red-flagged due to this incident, as Guanyu had previously scattered debris after hitting the barriers at Sainte Devote. Max Verstappen, opting not to use Soft tires, only managed the 11th fastest time and struggled with small driving errors. Pierre Gasly faced exhaust issues and completed fewer than ten laps. In the second free practice session, only Charles Leclerc managed to outpace Lewis Hamilton. The Monegasque driver set the fastest time using both Medium and Soft tires, a mix not utilized by Ferrari in the first session. Leclerc's time was faster than Max Verstappen's pole position time from the previous year. Hamilton followed closely, less than 0.2 seconds behind, but showed less promising race pace. Fernando Alonso took the third fastest time, with Max Verstappen in fourth place. The World Champion struggled with significant bouncing after hitting the curbs, trailing by 0.5 seconds from the top performance. It was a happy day for Lewis Hamilton, who was finally able to get a good feeling with his car. The British driver finished the second free practice session behind Charles Leclerc:
"It's been a good day, probably the best we've had so far this year, and the car is feeling very positive. This track is just amazing in an F1 car, and I've been enjoying my driving today - I was pleasantly surprised by the grip level and the way the car was responding, which made it a much more enjoyable ride than the last two years. In the second session, it felt a bit less comfortable, and we've got lots of work to do overnight to improve the long runs and the front graining. It was a feeling positive on the lower fuel, and we don't want to lose that, but our focus now is to improve on the long run".
George Russell has also found a good feeling with his car, but stresses that at the moment the Monegasque driver of Scuderia Ferrari has a difficult competitiveness to achieve:
"That was one of our best Fridays of the year, and the car is feeling the best I've ever had in Monaco. My session was limited by the steering vibration - as soon as I touched the brakes, the steering system was shaking, and on a track like this where you need confidence to attack, that really set me back".
The british driver adds:
"Every team is developing so quickly, and you can see how much faster the lap times are this year than last. The car is feeling good, and Lewis's times showed the performance that's in there, but Charles is very quick, and we know as well how quickly things can change. I hope we will be fighting for the top five tomorrow".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, is finally satisfied with the behavior of the Anglo-German cars on a circuit as certainly bumpy as Monte-Carlo:
"Overall, we've had a pretty good day with both cars. FP1 was productive. We pulled forward the FP2 soft into that session as we expected rain although that never materialised and meant we were on used tyres for the low fuel soft in the afternoon. George was struggling with a vibration on braking - we need to get on top of that for tomorrow as it appeared to get worse during the course of the day and was very intrusive this afternoon. However, the underlying pace of the car seems good. Our long run needs some work as we've got to be a bit kinder on the front tyres on Sunday but we've got some options for that. We've also got to track the circuit as the grip comes up but it's encouraging that we seem to have a decent platform to work from".
Oddly enough, McLaren came up short on this first day of practice. But there is no doubt that the British team can be the star of the weekend. Meanwhile, Lando Norris says:
"First of all, it's just great to be back, driving around this circuit. It's so incredible. It's tough as always, but I think it's been a reasonable first day. It's always hard to get in a good rhythm around here but I think we're in a good place. It's very close between several teams, with maybe one or two a little further up the road compared to us. We've got a bit of work to do, but I think it's kind-of as expected and we'll keep pushing hard".
While Oscar Piastri adds:
"That's Friday done in Monaco. I'd say it's been a pretty good day overall. The pace has looked good but it's very, very tight between a lot of teams today, so it's difficult to say where we could net out. We've got some things to look at and tweak overnight, but I feel like we're in a good place. It's going to be an exciting Saturday".
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, is at least happy that the threat of rain did not materialize, granting the British team a chance to collect valuable data:
"It was a productive day of practice here in Monaco. We worked through our planned programme without any issue. The threatened rain didn't materialise, so we had plenty of time to evaluate tyres, understand setup and give the drivers as much track time as possible. The battle at the front seems very interesting: there are quite a few quick teams. We'll work hard this evening to maximise our potential, have a good qualifying session tomorrow and score points in a race that may still be affected by the weather".
The star of the first day of practice was undoubtedly Charles Leclerc, who was well pleased to have done his job regularly, despite the final setback with walking over the debris left behind by Guanyu Zhou's Stake F1 Team:
"All in all, it seems that we have a good car for this track and I felt quite confident with it today. We have to keep that rhythm in place for FP3, because I may have taken a bit more risk today than others did, which paid off in terms of lap times, but the key here is to put it all together in qualifying when everyone starts really pushing the limits. We did a good job overall and have to keep focusing on ourselves. It was a great feeling to be back in the car on the streets of my home town and to feel all the support, we will give it everything to have a good one tomorrow".
On the other hand, Carlos Sainz Jr. is not happy, admitting that he found quite a few difficulties in making the car work on the single lap with both Pirelli tire compounds:
"Today, we definitely struggled over a single lap. We simply couldn't extract the maximum performance from the Medium and Soft tires. There's something we need to understand, but we hope to find answers for tomorrow. We adjusted the setup before FP2, and I did better in the long run, but it wasn't the best way to start the weekend. Monaco is one of my favorite tracks where I usually feel more comfortable, so it's strange what happened today. At the same time, when I see that I'm one of the fastest in the long run, I realize there's something we need to figure out. If we can put it all together, we should resolve everything for tomorrow".
Max Verstappen was aware that this weekend would be difficult to deal with. And, indeed, the first day of practice confirmed the initial concerns:
"It was pretty difficult but we knew coming into the race this weekend that this might be the case. There was a lot of bounce and temperature changes on track, which also made it tricky. Every time that we went over a bump, the car lost a lot of lap time and on this track one small jump could result in you ending up against the wall. We are looking into a solution ahead of the weekend to sort this out. In general, the issue is a bit more difficult to solve in set up and it won’t be a quick fix but we are going to work on it overnight; we don’t expect miracles but are still looking ahead to tomorrow. Ferrari are also looking quick but I am not thinking about that ahead of tomorrow. Overnight we are going to review the issues that we have and we will hopefully improve the drive of the car ahead of qualifying".
He is of the same mind as his teammate, Red Bull Racing's Mexican driver Sergio Perez. He, too, says he is concerned about the result of the work done during the first day of practice:
"It is going to be tough this weekend, we are finding it hard to get away from our limitations at the moment. We will see what we are able to come up with tonight, we ran a slightly different set-up on each car and I don’t know what the issues were for Max until we debrief. There are plenty of things to look at, the long run pace seems to be in a better place, but we will have to wait and see how we perform tomorrow. Ferrari look really strong and whenever they need the lap, it has seemed really quick and easy. It is a benefit to them and they aren’t struggling with their tyres either. We have a few items we need to be able to improve overnight and then hopefully it can put us back in the fight and we can be closer to the top".
Red Bull Racing's external consultant, Helmut Marko, speaks candidly about the difficulties faced by the Anglo-Austrian team in trying to solve the car's stiffness problems, and the car's lack of ability to make the most of its aerodynamic qualities:
"Our car is still too rigid, and we haven't yet used the full power of the engine. Charles Leclerc is still the clear favorite, but we managed to improve between the two sessions. We are the second fastest behind him, but we need to find a way to prevent the car from jumping like that without losing aerodynamic advantages. Our long runs have been good, but starting at the front is crucial. If we can't improve the car, Max's factor won't be enough".
Concluding the first day of testing, Simone Berra, Pirelli Chief Engineer, analyzing the work done by the teams with the tires, says:
"The day on track that's just finished here in Monaco was a very busy one, with two hours of free practice for the Formula 1 teams, while the Formula 2 and Formula 3 categories, for which we are also the sole tyre supplier, put on an exciting show in qualifying. As for Formula 1, free practice did not throw up any great surprises. Here, it's important for the drivers to lap continuously to get into a rhythm and find those last centimetres of track that represent the ideal line through the corners. From a purely technical point of view, we saw the track get quicker and quicker with each passing lap and that could also be an important factor in qualifying, because conditions could change significantly from the beginning to the end of each phase of the session. The fact that today's best time is already almost a tenth quicker than last year's pole is a sign of the progress made with this generation of car, given that the tyres have remained pretty much the same as last year’s".
On Saturday, May 25, 2024, during the third free practice session, Charles Leclerc confirmed himself as the fastest driver. The Monegasque Ferrari pilot led the time sheets throughout the session, with Max Verstappen managing to get within 0.2s of his time only in the final minutes, finishing second. Carlos Sainz Jr., however, did not attempt a fast lap towards the end and ended up sixth fastest. FP3 was interrupted after an incident involving Valtteri Bottas, who crashed into the barriers at the exit of the second turn at Piscine. The Stake F1 Team car came to a stop at Rascasse, blocking the track and preventing other cars from continuing. Several minutes before the start of qualifying, almost all drivers made their way to the pit lane to be ready to start as soon as the green light signaled the beginning of the session. Lewis Hamilton set the initial fastest lap with a time of 1'12"954; later, Max Verstappen lowered the benchmark to 1'12"790. Drivers opted for fewer pit stops, stringing together several consecutive quick laps. Kevin Magnussen briefly held the fastest time, but Nico Hülkenberg, the other Haas driver, set a time of 1'12"416 to take the lead. Neither Oscar Piastri nor Charles Leclerc could improve on Hülkenberg's time, and Lando Norris finished 0.193s behind him. George Russell managed to improve with a time of 1'12"267, while Esteban Ocon moved up to third place. Carlos Sainz Jr. improved to second before Max Verstappen lowered the benchmark further to 1'12"084. Oscar Piastri was the first to dip below the 1'12"0 mark. The Aston Martin drivers took third (Alonso) and fourth (Lance Stroll). Charles Leclerc, frustrated by being sent out out of sync with other drivers and encountering traffic on his fast laps, ended up ninth. Shortly after, Pierre Gasly moved up to third, and Esteban Ocon confirmed Alpine's competitiveness with the fifth fastest time.
Sergio Pérez struggled and could only manage 14th. Later, Lewis Hamilton climbed to second place, Carlos Sainz Jr. to fourth. Kevin Magnussen briefly reclaimed the fastest lap, but Charles Leclerc immediately beat it with a time of 1'11"653, with Nico Hülkenberg trailing by just 0.2s. Max Verstappen secured the third fastest time, and Alexander Albon moved up to fifth. Yuki Tsunoda, with the best middle sector time, finished seventh. Sergio Pérez remained in 14th place, while George Russell took the lead in the time sheets, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton by 0.036s. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso ended up 13th due to traffic at Rascasse; Carlos Sainz Jr., however, rose to third place, with Alex Albon in fifth, Oscar Piastri in second, and Pierre Gasly also securing a spot in the top fifteen, along with Lando Norris, who was in danger until his final attempt. Drivers who did not advance to the next phase included Alonso, Sargeant, Pérez, Bottas, and Zhou. In Q2, Lando Norris set a time of 1'11"372, but Max Verstappen surpassed this with 1'11"196. Soon after, Charles Leclerc moved into second place, only to be quickly surpassed by Yuki Tsunoda. Only Carlos Sainz Jr. managed to exceed the benchmark set by the World Champion, with a time of 1'11"177. Max Verstappen reclaimed the top spot. Esteban Ocon, fourth fastest, was hindered by Nico Hülkenberg at Beau Rivage and Casino corners, leading to an investigation. Shortly after, Alex Albon provisionally placed in the top ten, as did Pierre Gasly in sixth. Lewis Hamilton set the third fastest time with the absolute best middle sector, while Oscar Piastri took the lead with a time of 1'10"756, despite lightly brushing a guardrail. Shortly after, Charles Leclerc improved but remained 0.069s behind the Australian McLaren driver. The other McLaren driver, Lando Norris, however, managed to exceed Oscar Piastri's benchmark.
Max Verstappen then placed between the two British cars, while Lewis Hamilton climbed to sixth place, ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. Pierre Gasly confirmed his place in Q3, along with Yuki Tsunoda. Drivers who did not qualify for the final phase included Ocon, Hülkenberg, Ricciardo, Stroll, and Magnussen. In the decisive session, Alex Albon set a time of 1'11"805, quickly surpassed by Lewis Hamilton with 1'10"975. Charles Leclerc, during his first lap, complained over the radio about something disturbing him in using the pedals correctly. This did not prevent him from finishing the first attempt with a time of 1'10"418. Meanwhile, George Russell and Pierre Gasly warmed up their tires with two laps, while Oscar Piastri set the second fastest time and Lando Norris the third. Max Verstappen also completed two warm-up laps before attempting to set a time. Shortly after, Carlos Sainz Jr. placed between the two McLaren drivers, while George Russell climbed to fourth place, half a second behind Charles Leclerc; Max Verstappen did better, but was third after encountering a second sector with low competitiveness. The Dutch driver of Red Bull Racing complained about problems at Mirabeau and the Port Chicane. After a few moments of pause, the Mercedes drivers immediately tried to make another fast lap: Lewis Hamilton improved and rose to fourth place.
However, the seven-time World Champion was preceded by George Russell, who climbed to third place, ahead of Max Verstappen. The latter did not improve in his last lap and also complained about touching the barriers, enough to abandon his last attempt. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc improved again, setting the benchmark at 1'10"270. Oscar Piastri remained second, while Carlos Sainz Jr. progressed to third place, surpassing Lando Norris, who, despite improving, was fourth. Charles Leclerc secured pole position number 24 in his career, the first since the one he achieved at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023, held at another city circuit. For the local Ferrari driver, it is his third pole position start at the Monaco Grand Prix, the first since his 2022 edition. For Scuderia Ferrari, it is the 250th pole position in the history of the World Championship, the first since the one achieved in Las Vegas with Leclerc, and the thirteenth overall in this event following the one achieved with the Monegasque driver in 2022. All as expected: Charles Leclerc takes pole position and confirms previous predictions at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix. Now, however, the Monegasque driver is called to the task of not wasting this important opportunity to finally win his home Grand Prix:
"I’m very happy. We were fast right from the beginning of the weekend and I really think the whole team deserves this pole position. We know how important is track position here and having the possibility to start in front of everyone gives us the best chances. We know from the past that we have to win the race tomorrow on track but so far we have done an amazing job. Of course, I want to thank all the people here as I felt their support right from Wednesday. Now we have to complete the job, and we will do our best to bring home this victory".
He is again less happy Carlos Sainz Jr. who understandably would have preferred to start on the front row alongside his teammate:
"I feel that I've progressed well today after a difficult start to the weekend yesterday. Of course I’m not satisfied as I would have preferred to be on the front row. However, we have a good fighting chance for tomorrow and we still have a long race ahead of us. Congrats to Charles for the pole position at home! Let’s race".
Despite the chronic problems plaguing Scuderia Ferrari's Monegasque driver, the Maranello team managed to take pole position. In this regard, Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP, says:
"Today has been a good day, but Charles has been having a positive weekend since yesterday already. In Q1, there was an issue with that plastic bag on the front wing, but he remained calm. It was touch and go because we lost 2-3 laps in that phase, but he did a great job throughout the session. Before qualifying, we changed the engine as a precaution, but we don't have any concerns for tomorrow. I think we have the advantage of maintaining our usual race preparation routine: meeting for strategy, setup, and so on".
And he adds:
"Honestly, I think the wait will be manageable. Charles has been flying since the beginning of the weekend, very consistent with a very fast pace right from the start. It's true that Q1 didn't start well for us; we had to do an extra lap to remove the plastic bag. I was a bit worried that it could have made him nervous, which could have affected him, but he stayed calm and did great. Even Carlos (Sainz, third on the grid) did very well with a great lap at the end, and it's nice to have both cars up front in terms of strategy and everything else. But we'll see tomorrow; we know that securing pole position in Monaco is exceptionally important, but winning is not guaranteed, so we need to do everything right".
By a whisker, Oscar Piastri failed to take pole position in the Monaco Grand Prix. However, how can the Australian driver not be happy with second place on the grid?
"I'm really pleased with that. It's great to be starting on the front row, and next to Leclerc who has been incredibly quick all weekend. I feel like we've been building momentum, and what better colours to do it in than these. Our aim for tomorrow is to get a good start, and take the opportunities that will come to us. While overtaking will be tricky, we'll give it everything. We've got a good starting spot, so let's see what we can do".
He is a little less satisfied with Lando Norris, as he will start from the fourth position. However, the British driver does not despair, and waits to see what will happen in the race:
"A good Qualifying result for us. It was just so close. Of course, we would have loved to have been one or two positions higher, especially here where overtaking is so difficult, but, I'm happy with it and we're in a good place. A good job by the team for Oscar to be in P2. We've got a good team result and we'll try to maximise it".
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, held its breath for almost the entire qualifying session. The problems the British team faced were numerous, but everything went more than well in the end:
"As usual, a very tense Qualifying session here in Monaco. There were many teams today with a realistic shot of getting into Q3, and we needed to be incredibly careful with our approach, always being on track with the right tyres, because you simply could not tell when the time was to do the lap that would see you progress the most. In Q1, there was a moment of concern when Lando had a large portion of an advertising banner stuck under his car. It required a rapid response from the entire team to get rid of this and get him back out for the crucial last couple of minutes, which the team did very well. Both drivers performed well under pressure today, culminating in strong starting positions for tomorrow, upon which we will try to capitalise the best we can".
Is Mercedes improving? It's hard to be able to say for sure. But for sure, what George Russell has done is noteworthy. The British driver, in fact, managed to qualify in P5, placing ahead of the reigning World Champion:
"That was a strong result today. It's just two hundredths of a second to P3, so of course it's frustrating when the gaps are so close, but the main thing is that we are making progress. The team has worked flat out to bring new parts here sooner than expected, and that's massively appreciated because the car was feeling great".
So he adds:
"The car was dancing a lot in the first sector and my lap felt very strong - afterwards, you can always convince yourself there was bit more in there, but it's just such an amazing adrenaline rush to drive a lap on this circuit. Overall, I am happy because we could have been P3 today, but most importantly we are making progress and hopefully this can be a bit of a turning point given that our car has never been super strong here. The race has been pretty chaotic in the last couple of years and I'm not sure what the weather will be like tomorrow, I guess a bit of rain would be welcome to spice things up".
Lewis Hamilton only managed to qualify in P7. Although the seven-time World Champion found a good feeling with the car, he again failed to be competitive in qualifying:
"The car has felt great this weekend from the get-go and we were competitive through Friday and this morning in practice. I've been pushing the limits everywhere and the qualifying laps felt good. But each time I go into qualifying, I struggle to keep making progress with the car and it feels like I lose performance relative to the cars around me. There was a bit of a difference with our cars in the high-speed corners, as George is running the new wing this weekend, but it is great to see the team pushing so hard to bring upgrades to the last race and this one, too. We have been much closer to the front here, and the car is feeling much better than it has in Monaco in previous years; we just have to keep on pushing and getting closer to the front through the year".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal & CEO, given also the recent performance, he is completely satisfied with the progress made by the Anglo-German cars. The Austrian manager says it would have taken little to gain a few more positions:
"When you look the final positions on the time sheets, P5 and P7 probably looks like a bit more of the same, but in fact the pace was good, and we were just a few milliseconds away from P2 or P3 with George. Lewis has put together a very strong weekend, but it wasn't to be on that final run. The sport is so close right now, probably more than it has ever been, and it's a fight for tiny margins in every area. As always, it was a challenge to find the sweet spot of the tyres, but we hit all our targets for those final laps and probably that's the pace of the car right now. Ultimately, this has always been a tough track for us, and we've enjoyed a pretty competitive weekend so far. I also want to pay tribute to the work of the team back at the factory to produce our updates for this race. They did a mega job to get them all ready and working properly, and it's great to see everybody pushing flat out like we are. Hopefully now we can build from here".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, concludes:
"The team has put together a solid weekend so far and both drivers had good pace today. It's difficult to not be frustrated with 5th and 7th, especially when you look at how small some of the gaps are and how easily we might have found enough pace for both to be further up the grid today. It's always a tricky circuit and it wasn't straightforward getting the new tyres to the right temperature for the first lap. We can at least reassure ourselves that the work we are doing to improve our speed seems to be effective. George was running a new front wing here and that looks like a step in the right direction. We'll have that on both cars for the next race in Montreal. The race will be interesting tomorrow: the tyres were quite fragile on Friday but hopefully we've improved the car to look after them. It's difficult with our starting positions but the race here is rarely dull, and incidents often throw up a few surprises. We'll do our best to finish higher than we start".
Instead, it was a nightmare day for Fernando Alonso, who found himself caught in traffic and failed to qualify for Q3:
"It was a case of wrong place and wrong moment today for me. This is Monaco and you need to find some luck here too! I lost quite a bit of lap time with the traffic in Q1 and there is nobody to blame as we can't expect the traffic to vanish. Heading into Qualifying, we were thinking Q3 looked possible. It will be a tough day tomorrow, but we will take any opportunities that come our way".
It was not a happy day for Max Verstappen. After trying everything possible to solve the set-up problems, qualifying did not give the expected feedback. The Dutch driver will start from P6, a position that precludes any chance of victory:
"It has not been a good weekend for the team in general. We have tried a lot of changes over the past few days and nothing has helped optimise the performance of the car. In general, it drives well on the straight but has been very difficult over the curves and bumps so has not been good to drive on this kind of track. The ride of the car is not good and it has been bouncing around a lot, which makes it really tricky. The issue isn’t a new thing for us and we have been struggling with this for a while. We have tried everything to solve the issue but I still felt like I was often close to going into the wall. Although I did feel comfortable pushing it to the limit, it is a huge challenge to be consistent and we just didn’t have the fastest car today. Looking to tomorrow, we will work hard to try to find the problem. In Monaco things can happen that you don’t expect, so never say never, but we are not expecting miracles".
And he adds:
"Since 2022, we've been struggling with the kerbs. Previously, we had an advantage in terms of performance and car handling in other corners, which allowed us to mask this weakness. Now that others have improved, this weakness of ours is becoming apparent. If we don't improve our weaknesses while others do, it highlights what's not working for us. We haven't been able to figure out how to solve it, and it's not a trivial matter. Perhaps we'll have to wait until next year to fix this issue. There will be tracks more suited to us. One bad race doesn't change the title race; to aim for the World Championship, we need consistent performance, and that's what we have to try to achieve because there will be other tracks that won't be easy for us given the current situation. I'm not thinking about the standings because anything can happen; the championship is long, and one bad race doesn't alter the situation. I wouldn't say this was my first real mistake of the year. I'd invite anyone in this paddock to drive this car and try to go faster than me because it's been terrible. I'm pushing to the limit, but the car is awful to drive, it's like a go-kart without suspension, in the second sector I can't ride the kerbs. I made a mistake in Turn 1, that's true, but I could have been even further back. I've been on the edge all weekend trying to set the best time possible, but it simply wasn't possible. This weekend we're behind; at Imola, we managed to turn the situation around incredibly, but unfortunately, the car isn't working here. We're trying our best, we're not under pressure, but the car doesn't work here, and we have to accept it. In the race, I'll try to score as many points as possible without doing anything stupid. If there are opportunities, we'll try to seize them, but normally there aren't many here".
It got even worse for Sergio Perez, who was eliminated in Q1:
"Today was a complete disaster, we didn’t get into the rhythm and we didn’t have the pace. On my final lap when things were looking good, I came to turns six and seven, they were full of traffic, then there were some stickers or something laid down on the track and I couldn’t get the lap that I needed. Two or three tenths would have changed it, but I didn’t get it and then unfortunately the tyres were too warm and I couldn’t get through Q1".
The Mexican Red Bull Racing driver adds:
"We should have been in Q3 and given the margins were so small, a better lap would have changed things dramatically, we were P5 this morning, so we knew what we were capable of. It has been a very tricky, difficult weekend for us and not ideal overall. I am just very disappointed because we couldn’t get the maximum out of the car today and we had so much more potential than we showed. Unfortunately, unless there is some rain tomorrow, we cannot hope for much, there is nearly zero chance to overtake around here".
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal, cannot help but admit that Scuderia Ferrari is more competitive in Monaco than the Anglo-Austrian cars:
"Ferrari were quick all weekend, particularly Charles. The first sector was pretty strong today for us, it was mainly the tight hairpin around Lowes and then turn five and turn ten which were our weak areas. I felt we were letting ourselves back into it with Max but the car has not been at its optimal all weekend. We have been struggling with certain characteristics here, but I still thought there was a chance for maybe sneaking a second or third out of it but in that last run, we didn’t get it and we ended up in sixth. Unfortunately for Checo it wasn’t quite his day either, traffic created some issues for him, he was stuck and couldn’t make it out of Q1. We will take the lessons out of today and look to tomorrow. It will be tricky as barring a safety car, the race is pretty much done but we will come back fighting tomorrow".
Helmut Marko is regretful about the qualifying result. The Austrian manager is convinced that Max Verstappen could have won at least the front row and then tried to fight for victory with Charles Leclerc:
"We could have aimed for the front row; we knew Charles Leclerc was the clear favorite, but Verstappen could have secured second place. Unfortunately, he hit the wall, but at least the car didn't suffer damage. Of course, finishing in sixth position is disappointing. The second sector was our weakness; Max was strong in the first and tried to gain even more advantage, but things can easily go wrong in Monaco. Starting so far back reduces the chances of a comeback, so getting close to the podium would already be a positive outcome".
Speaking about Sergio Perez, the Red Bull Racing consultant said:
"We can't expect him to match Max's pace, but he needs to stay closer to him. We'll analyze why things went so wrong for him here in Monaco".
In conclusion, Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, talks about the possible strategies that can be put into practice by the teams during the Monaco Grand Prix, as a result of the data collected during these two days of testing:
"In Monaco, much of the excitement is usually to be experienced on Saturday and once again, in this 70th edition of the race, that proved to be the case. The 60 minutes to decide the grid were very intense and uncertain right to the very last moment. Congratulations to Leclerc for his third pole at his home race, but also to the other 19 drivers because seeing them fly around these streets brushing the guardrails is always breath-taking. Leclerc was already quickest yesterday and today he repeated that performance, but it was still a close fight, with three different drivers topping the time sheets in the three segments that make up the session and the time differences were very small, as can be seen from the fact that the top 15 in Q1 were all covered by less than four tenths of a second. From a technical point of view, the C5 proved it can perform very well on a track like this one and with this type of surface".
And he adds:
Compared to last year's qualifying, the times are noticeably quicker, pole by over a second, which is also quicker than the simulations provided by the teams (1’10"500). We have had plenty of excitement today and now we can expect a race that should have a fairly predictable outcome with a one-stop strategy pretty much obligatory, featuring the Medium and Hard tyres. Those who opt to start on the C3 will aim to extend the first stint as much as possible, hoping for an eventual Safety Car to give them a cheap pit stop in terms of time taken. In fact, it's quite difficult to predict the ideal pit stop window as that will depend on whether or not incidents on track create any opportunities. But in theory, they would be between laps 25 and 35 for those on a Medium-Hard strategy and between 45 and 55 for those running Hard-Medium. We have less than 24 hours to wait to see if this turns out to be the case".
After technical inspections conducted by the FIA at the end of qualifying, it was found that the rear wing allowing the use of the DRS on the cars of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg did not comply with technical regulations when the device was in operation. Haas was summoned by the stewards, and subsequently Magnussen and Hülkenberg, who qualified fifteenth and twelfth respectively, were disqualified from the qualifying session. However, both drivers were allowed to start the race by the stewards. On Sunday, May 26, 2024, at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc maintained the lead, followed by Oscar Piastri. At the first corner, Carlos Sainz Jr. attempted to overtake Oscar Piastri, but the two cars made contact, causing a puncture to the front left tire of the Spanish driver's Ferrari, which led him off track and to a stop at the Casino corner. Further back, at the Massenet corner, Sergio Pérez's Red Bull Racing was hit by Kevin Magnussen's Haas; the Mexican driver's car bounced into the barriers and subsequently also hit Nico Hülkenberg's other Haas. The race was interrupted with a red flag, not before another incident involving the two Alpine drivers at the entrance to the Tunnel. In this case, Ocon hit Gasly's car. Esteban Ocon was subsequently penalized with ten seconds added to his race time for causing a collision with his teammate. However, Ocon retired from the race and was therefore unable to serve the penalty, leading to a five-place grid penalty for the next Canadian Grand Prix and two points on his super license. The race resumed after about 45 minutes. In the meantime, Carlos Sainz Jr.'s Ferrari was brought back to the pits by a tow truck, allowing the Spanish driver to restart from the third grid slot as the restart order was based on the first sector of the track.
At the second start, Charles Leclerc maintained the lead, followed by Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, all on Hard tires and thus exempt from needing a tire change, and George Russell on Medium tires, also without a mandatory stop. This restart proceeded smoothly without incidents. The top four maintained close gaps, while George Russell set a slower pace to extend his stint on Medium tires to the end of the race. This strategy could potentially allow Lando Norris a pit stop without losing position. After about twenty laps, Oscar Piastri seemed to lose a few tenths of a second to Charles Leclerc. However, shortly after, the engineers of Scuderia Ferrari advised Charles Leclerc to slow down to prevent Lando Norris from having enough margin for a tire change, thus protecting Carlos Sainz Jr. from a possible attack. As the laps passed, Charles Leclerc easily navigated through lapped traffic and increased his gap over Oscar Piastri to about 2.5 seconds. Around lap 46, Lando Norris had the opportunity to make a pit stop, but the McLaren team decided not to risk losing fourth place and did not change tires. Lance Stroll, after hitting the barriers, was forced to change tires. On lap 52, Lewis Hamilton pitted and switched to Medium tires. Shortly after, Max Verstappen also pitted and made the same tire choice. After 56 laps, Charles Leclerc remained in the lead with a 1.6-second gap over Oscar Piastri, 3.2 seconds over Carlos Sainz Jr., 3.6 seconds over Lando Norris, and 25 seconds over George Russell. Lewis Hamilton, after changing tires, was lapping three seconds faster than the top four drivers. The British Mercedes driver and Max Verstappen vied for the fastest lap during the final part of the race. Around lap 60, Max Verstappen closed in on George Russell but found no space to attempt an overtake. In the final laps, Charles Leclerc extended his lead over Oscar Piastri, who was clearly struggling, as indicated by the rapid increase in his lap times.
The Australian driver lost ground to Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris; however, the positions remained unchanged, and Charles Leclerc won the Monaco Grand Prix, claiming his sixth career victory. For the Monegasque driver, it was his first win since the Austrian Grand Prix in 2022, as well as his first victory in his home Grand Prix.
"I can’t really explain how I feel. The race seemed to go on for ever, but maybe that made it even nicer. Winning here means so much to me, because it’s the race that made me dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver when I was little. So I want to thank the people of Monaco, on the lap of honour I saw so many people on the balconies and I thank all of them for their incredible support.I can’t really explain how I feel. The race seemed to go on for ever, but maybe that made it even nicer. Winning here means so much to me, because it’s the race that made me dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver when I was little. So I want to thank the people of Monaco, on the lap of honour I saw so many people on the balconies and I thank all of them for their incredible support.Over the last few laps it was difficult because you start to pray nothing’s going to happen and I could feel the emotion growing in me and I realised I was almost losing concentration on my driving. I was thinking a lot about my father, about everything he did to ensure that I was here today and I was also thinking of Jules. Winning this race was a dream we all had and I dedicate the win to them.We had to do a lot of tyre management, also managing the gap to George (Russell) to make sure the McLarens couldn’t get a free pit stop, so mentally it was quite draining. I have to thank the team for doing an exceptional job over the past few months and for helping me to win this race. I can’t wait to celebrate with all of them and the rest of the team as soon as I get to Maranello".
Despite the initial fear, Carlos Sainz Jr. finally managed to restart from third position, and at the end of a tactical race managed to get on the podium. Therefore, the Spanish driver of Scuderia Ferrari can be satisfied:
"It was a very tactical race. I had a very good first start off the line, to the point that I was side by side with Oscar into turn 1 and I went for the inside gap. We touched, I got a puncture and I thought that was it. Fortunately for me, the big accident behind meant I could restart from P3 and thankfully everyone was OK.It was a very tactical race. I had a very good first start off the line, to the point that I was side by side with Oscar into turn 1 and I went for the inside gap. We touched, I got a puncture and I thought that was it. Fortunately for me, the big accident behind meant I could restart from P3 and thankfully everyone was ok. For the restart we had new Hard tyres and it was just a matter of managing the pace until the end and making sure Lando didn’t have a window to pit. Once this was achieved, I tried to overtake Oscar during the last laps but it’s simply too difficult if you are on the same strategy as the car ahead.I'm very happy for Charles! Winning your home race is something every driver dreams of and it was good to be able to celebrate with him on the podium".
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP, at the end of this important day, he treated himself to a dip in the water, jumping off the edge of the harbor, together with Charles Leclerc. It is a unique satisfaction for the French manager, on his third victory with the Maranello team in Formula 1:
"It was the perfect weekend and one to remember for Charles, having had a couple of tough races in the past here in Monaco. He was flying from lap 1 in FP1 and he did the perfect job. The race itself was a bit strange because after the red flag, we had to manage 77 laps on the same set of tyres. He was always in control of the situation and a couple of times, he asked us if he could push more, but we couldn't give him green light. Carlos also drove a very solid race and played an important part in this win, helping us control the gaps behind, doing a fantastic job for the team. At the moment, we are all pushing very hard, there is a very good dynamic in the whole team with everyone working in the right direction. We mustn’t get carried away, we have to stay focused, but this win is a huge motivation for everyone, at the track and also of course at the factory where everyone has done a great job. This was a very special day, you could see the emotion from all the team members around the podium".
And now…
"Now we must already think about doing a good job again, a better one even, in Canada".
It was also a strange and happy day for Oscar Piastri, who, with the colors of Ayrton Senna on, managed to take an important second place:
"That was a tricky race. The pace at the beginning was incredibly slow. I had half a look before the tunnel but didn't have a car small enough to fit through the gap. Thanks to the whole team who have worked so hard. It's been a great weekend all around, and what better place to get a result like that than Monaco. It's special to achieve a podium in Senna's colours, too, given his incredible record around these streets".
Lando Norris, all things considered, is also happy with the team's achievement. The British driver could do little along the narrow streets of Monte-Carlo except to bring his car to the finish line in fourth position:
"A good team result. A lot of points on the board, which is exactly what we wanted. But as we expected, there were no opportunities to move forward, especially after the Red Flag at the beginning. It was unlucky that we got put down to fourth again after the first start, that would have been lovely! But there wasn't a lot we could do on a day like today. We stayed in there, got good points for the team, and that's the main thing".
Andrea Stella, McLarem Team Principal, congratulates Scuderia Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, winners of the Monaco Grand Prix:
"Hats off to Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, they've been quick all weekend and deserved the victory. For us, well done to the entire team for delivering a fast car, and to the trackside team, for being always on the ball, managing some intense operational moments this weekend - from clearing Lando's car of debris during Qualifying, to dealing with a difficult Red Flag situation today. It's an important result here in Monaco, with Oscar scoring an impressive podium and Lando right behind on a circuit that we weren't certain would suit our car. It's a lot of points - but also evidence that we can be regular contenders for the podium. We look at the coming races with optimism".
After starting in P9, Alex Albon managed to finish the race in the same position, finally giving Williams Racing its first two points of the season:
"Whilst you'd rather have a slightly more exciting race to win points at, I'm still happy. P9 for the team and our first points of the season which means a lot to us. You never want to be pointless, especially for the team's morality, so hopefully this will be a nice kickstart to the season. It was a bit frustrating out there as you could see how much pace Yuki had but he was managing excessively, so it was a very slow and painful race; I was struggling to stay focused. We've added small amounts of performance to the car so it's good to see these upgrades working and that we're able to stay around a similar pace to our direct competitors".
A feat that, however, failed to Fernando Alonso, who was conditioned by an unfavorable starting position. The Spanish driver of the Aston Martin still finished in P11, just a step away from the top-ten:
"We were a little bit unlucky at the beginning of the race. We chose the Hard tyre to start the race aiming to go very long in the first stint. With the red flag everyone changed tyres, we did the same but had to fit the Medium and go to the end which was tortuous. It was very difficult to keep the tyres alive. At one point we thought we'd try a different strategy with Lance - a pit stop to attack Gasly, we were out of the points with nothing to lose. It didn't work but generally it was a disappointing weekend. We need to get better for Canada".
George Russell is overjoyed to have taken P5 at the end of the Monaco Grand Prix. The British driver, in particular, emphasizes the fact that for the first time since the beginning of the season the car provided good race pace, and that everything ran smoothly:
"That was the best race of our season so far. We had good pace and were able to show that near the end, despite being on 70-lap old Medium tyres. We were closing on the top four at the end and only finished a handful of seconds off P1. There are plenty of positives to take from the weekend as a whole. We spent a lot of time this morning going through all the strategy options. When we lined up on the grid, and everyone ahead was on the Medium compound, I was very happy. That looked even better when Carlos stopped on the opening lap. The red flag came out though and made our lives more difficult! I spent the first 30 laps taking it easy and in the end, I was able to keep the tyres in a good place and get to the end. Max put me under a bit of pressure at the end but it was all pretty controlled".
Lewis Hamilton is also all in all happy with the progress made by the team. Certainly, the British driver was hoping for a more eventful Grand Prix, but apart from the initial incident, nothing else moved the standings, which in fact remained unchanged for the top positions:
"There have been plenty of encouraging signs from our performance this weekend. The team has worked so hard to bring updates to the car and we've got more to come across the next few races. We have taken a step forward with the car and, if we can continue to make a few more, then we can hopefully get ourselves into the fight with the three teams ahead of us. The race today was non-eventful. Everyone was managing their pace after the red flag and ultimately, whatever tyre you were on, you could make it to the end. That took away our options of making forward progress which was frustrating. I'm looking forward to going to Canada and seeing what we can do there".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, examining what happened during the Monaco Grand Prix, says:
"We opted for an alternative strategy by starting both cars on the Hard tyre. There were pros and cons to this; a red flag or Safety Car intervention after the front four had stopped would have provided an opportunity to get both cars on the podium. However, a lap one red flag would prove awkward. This is exactly what befell us as the race got underway. We were therefore in a situation where we had to try and get to the end on the Medium tyre. Most cars were doing a fair bit of management, so this was relatively easy to handle in the end. George seemed to have good pace in the closing stages and was able to defend well against Max and it was encouraging to see the improvements we made in our long run since Friday. The stop with Lewis towards the end wasn't necessary from a tyre point of view, but it did give us an opportunity to take an extra point for fastest lap. Overall, the weekend was another indication that we are moving in the right direction. We were just 25 milliseconds off P3 in Qualifying, which is an annoying margin to miss out on a likely podium by. That said, a few weeks ago we couldn't even talk about podiums. We'll have both cars on the latest updates in Montreal with a few additional bits on top. We'll keep working hard and hopefully better results are not far away".
While Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal and CEO, concludes by saying:
"Overall, we've had a positive weekend. We were much closer than we have been in Qualifying so far this year and showed good pace throughout the race. That was despite the first lap red flag which took away many of our strategy options".
So he adds:
"We opted to switch to the Medium compound tyres under that red flag and both George and Lewis did a good job to manage them throughout. Lewis didn't need to make a stop, but we were able to box him and secure the point for fastest lap. The trajectory is going in the right direction. We've understood where we need to improve the balance car and we're bringing updates to enhance that. We know there will be ups and downs depending on the circuits we go to but overall, I am happy with the development direction. Let's see how we perform in Canada".
It certainly was not a happy day for the Red Bull Racing team. Max Verstappen, in particular, is keen to point out that he is happy that his teammate, Sergio Perez, was uninjured following the frightening accident he was involved in early in the Monaco Grand Prix:
"Of course, the most important thing is that Checo was okay following his crash. There was a lot of damage to his car, which was very unfortunate, but luckily he was fine. The red flag ultimately meant that our strategy was ruined, so everyone was just managing tyres until the end of the race and the pit stop did not change much either. We had to really slow down a lot to make it to the end of the race and I tried to pass George for two laps but it was extremely difficult. The ride of the car was still not great today and we just didn’t have the pace in qualifying. It ended up being a very boring race for us and not much we could do. It's been a bad weekend for us but the positive is that we know what the weakness is in the car and if we can improve this we should get back a lot of lap time. A season like last year doesn’t happen often and we are realistic; we stay very strong as a team, don’t overreact, analyse the race and go from there".
For his part, Sergio Perez is well pleased that everything went well, despite the initial great fear over an accident that could have had far worse outcomes:
"At the start I lost a position to one of the Haas cars and I was coming out of turn one, I couldn’t see Kevin in my mirrors, you can see that from my on board and then the crash happened. I think the move was unnecessary, we sustained a lot of damage and it was a very dangerous incident. I was disappointed it didn’t get investigated, it was an immense crash and my car is completely destroyed. I think it was totally unnecessary at that point of the race and where we were starting on the grid, we should have been starting in a better grid position today to avoid this and my Team and I are sorry for it, but, there was no need for that. It caused a lot of damage to my car and I am okay after the accident; I just got a small graze to my elbow. Safety in F1 has come a very long way and for that I am grateful. It has been a bad weekend for all of us and the whole thing is frustrating but I trust my Team with my car ahead of Canada and I hope we come back very strong".
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal, concludes by saying that what was predicted by the team at the beginning of the weekend finally came true. Except for Sergio Perez's accident, clearly:
"I would say it was a difficult weekend and Monaco is always dictated by qualifying performance, so we faced many challenges going into today. A big congratulations to Charles on his home win, but for us our car never performed at its best here and we need to understand the issues we had on the bumps and kerbs. Very disappointed by the crash on lap one, and I think Magnussen should have given more space. Not only did he damage his car, he also took out our car, but thankfully Checo stepped away from it unhurt, which is the most important thing. We have a lot of data to analyse from this weekend and we’ll be looking at everything hard over the next couple of weeks before Canada".
Thus concludes the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, which finally saw Charles Leclerc break the spell and triumph at home. It was a resounding victory for Scuderia Ferrari, which was able to fully exploit Red Bull Racing's difficulties on this circuit to secure their second precious win of the season. McLaren, however, confirmed its competitiveness even on this narrow circuit and emerges as a favorite to win in Montreal, Canada, the site of the next Grand Prix. With 169 points, Max Verstappen sees his lead over Charles Leclerc decrease, as Leclerc takes advantage of the favorable situation to reach 138 points in the World Drivers' Championship standings. Scuderia Ferrari, on the other hand, climbs to 252 points, compared to Red Bull Racing's 276. But one must watch out for McLaren, which, despite having only 184 points in the Constructors' Championship standings, is starting to make a strong push towards the top positions. And, as mentioned, the next Canadian Grand Prix could be favorable to the British team's ambitions.