🇲🇨 F1'23: R6 - Monaco-vertising

After a break that was longer than expected, Formula 1 returned with a bang on Saturday, with a qualifying session that stole the show over the weekend and maybe dispelled the critics that claimed that the sport had outgrown its most famous weekend.

In case you missed it, this is worth clicking through to - it’s well worth seven minutes of your time.

The Q3 highlights start at 3:00 and shows the unique nature of Monaco with four flying laps that showed F1 at its absolute best. And partly because the drivers did something they hadn’t done in Q3 at Monaco for a couple of years - there wasn’t a red flag in the final session. 

Last year, Sergio Perez spun his car into Portier after the chequered flag had gone. In 2021, Charles Leclerc caused the stoppage after going over the swimming pool chicane with around 20 seconds left. It meant we were denied the spectacle of those final laps in both years and meant the decisions made by stewards took centre stage again. 2023 was a refreshing change in that respect.

So why else was this year in Monte Carlo so compelling? The mix of names and teams alongside the usual suspects gave it a surprise factor, with the track rapidly evolving over the shortest lap of the calendar, the remaining drivers growing in confidence knowing that qualifying is so crucial. It was a perfect cocktail that made it into a time attack mode from a video game.

In a session with several highlights, the conclusion started with Esteban Ocon making people sit up and take notice with a few minutes left. He was surpassed by Charles Leclerc before the Aston Martin and Red Bull took centre stage.

It was Fernando Alonso who laid down a marker and it looked like it was going to be enough. With two sectors down and around 20 seconds of the lap left, Max Verstappen needed to make up 0.2 seconds. In a lap that will go down in F1 history, the reigning world champion did just that, making up the time in Rascasse and even clipped the wall as he crossed the finish line.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Csw6lxJuBsJ/  (side note, Reels don’t embed either. Really? Come on!)

As a sidenote, the home race Leclerc curse continued as Charles impeded Lando Norris in the tunnel and dropped three places at a place where overtaking is rare.

And in the race itself, it was looking as processional as Monaco racedays sometimes do. Last year, I looked at how Monaco could be improved, with all three dry compounds being mandatory, or turning the blue flags off for example.

This was probably the most memorable qualifying sessions we’ve seen in several years and that showed how essential Monaco really is to the calendar.

Before this weekend, Monaco is sort of seen as dreaded by some F1 fans as it’s light on overtaking, leaving them to justify why the global F1 circus has to pack up for Monaco so Tom Holland can wave a chequered flag and Tom Kerridge can give his views on sport. But the video game qualifying and the second half of the race showed that although the cars are probably too big, the race itself isn’t too small for the prestigious occasion.

Who would have thought that making the track wet would increase the intrigue and entertainment value? Well, other than Bernie Ecclestone? The rain came down in the second half of the race and everyone tried to ninja their way through at a pace Mo Farah could have probably bested in a couple of corners. Eventually, nearly everyone pitted for intermediates with two exceptions.

Kevin Magnussen tried the classic “do what everyone else doesn’t” and stayed put on dry tyres until switching to full wets. It didn’t go well. The other driver was Alonso who was running in second and - along with his team - went onto mediums before pitting again onto inters. This didn’t cost him any places, and probably didn’t cost his team a win, but there is always a big “what if” question to ask there.

The biggest reason for that question is that this was probably Aston Martin’s best chance for a win in at least the next couple of races. The chicane has been removed in Spain, meaning it favours high-speed cars more than before, and then there’s Canada, whose final sector consists of two long straights and the famous wall of champions. With Red Bull’s DRS being a huge gamechanger, those much-talked about upgrades across the grid will be tested to their limits.

In Monaco, a good qualifying deserves a good reward. Esteban Ocon became the first French driver on the Principality podium since Olivier Panis in 1996 - a mad race where just three racers finished. A 15-point podium - and Gasly’s seventh place - brings massively valuable points to Alpine, helping separate them from McLaren who should still be pleased with a 3-point finish and act as the spark to both team’s seasons.

With Alpine, it answered some of their biggest critics, most notably from Laurent Rossi. The Alpine CEO spoke to French TV about the team after his drivers crashed into each other while both in the points in Melbourne, and it was a warning shot to senior team personnel.

They are a clear fifth at the moment, looking up at Ferrari’s 55-point advantage, something that shouldn’t really be attainable, but definitely is, given Ferrari’s love of strategically shooting themselves in the foot. But to get there, these sort of finishes have to become the standard while hoping they can take advantage of more Ferrari misadventures.

Although the double stack worked well, it’s clear something is not right inside the Italian giants. Carlos Sainz was particularly unhappy, especially after he clipped Ocon while fighting for third. 

As for Leclerc, the home racer had a chance to fight George Russell, with the Mercedes driver having a five-second penalty and a trip down the escape road. Instead Leclerc fell away from Russell and finished behind him, penalty or not.

With six rounds done, the field has separated and teams know who their immediate fight is against. Alpine vs Ferrari is a long-term battle Standing 129 and 130 points respectively behind the leaders, that’s where the rivalry is to watch in the Constructors’ Championship. 

The narrative will become the fight for second, and former Williams drivers will decide it, with George Russell and Lance Stroll duking it out alongside their more experienced teammates in Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

A Spanish home race will be interesting for Alonso, who won it 10 years ago and in 2006. Last year, this became a multiple-stop race, which could make for some very interesting strategies in the second part of the double-header.

UNRELATED FOOTNOTE

I wrote about Nintendo and the newest Legend of Zelda game. Tears of the Kingdom cleverly has more than one meaning. I didn’t send it via email because you’ve subscribed because I know you in real life/you like F1, but if you’d like a read, it’s here.