#Formula1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2021 Preview. #F1 #MonacoGP
Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2019. Circuit De Monaco, Monaco. Image credit to Andrej Isakovic / AFP. Monaco Grand Prix Preview, 2021 Monaco GP Preview.
After Lewis Hamilton outfoxed Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing to clinch his 98th-career victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, round five of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the most famous and historic street circuit of them all the Circuit de Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2021 after a year hiatus from the calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic. This will be the 78th time that the Monaco Grand Prix has been held and the 67th time since it has been held as part of the FIA Formula One World Championship. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious motor sporting events in the world alongside the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Heures Du Mans which forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
Monaco Grand Prix Preview – A Look at the Circuit De Monaco
The Circuit De Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco.
The idea for a Grand Prix around the streets of Monaco came from Antony Noghes, the president of the Monegasque car club and close friend of the ruling Grimaldi family. The inaugural race was held in 1929 and was won by Williams Grover-Williams in a Bugatti and the first Monaco Grand Prix as part of the FIA World Championship was held in 1950 won by Juan Manuel Fangio in the Alfa Romeo.
The circuit has many elevation shifts, tight corners, a tunnel and is very narrow. These features make it the most demanding track in Grand Prix racing. The circuit has relatively low average speeds.
Although the circuit has changed many times during its history, it is still considered the ultimate test of driving skills in Formula 1.
Due to the tight, twisty nature of the circuit it favours the skill of the drivers over power of the cars. However, there is very little overtaking as the track is so narrow and dangerous. It is the only Grand Prix on the F1 calendar that does not adhere to the FIA’s mandated 305km (190 mi) minimum race distance.
The circuit runs in a clockwise direction and is 3.337km (2.074 mi) in length with 19 corners.
Race distance is 260.286km (161.734 mi) with 78 laps.
Max Verstappen holds the fastest lap record from 2018 with a 1:14.260 set in his Aston Martin Red Bull Racing – Renault RB14.
The late great three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna holds the record for most victories at Monaco with six.
McLaren are the most successful constructor at the Circuit de Monaco winning the Monaco Grand Prix 15 times.
Monaco Grand Prix Preview – Onboard Lap of the Circuit De Monaco
Here is the onboard pole position lap of the Circuit de Monaco from the 2019 event, set by Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport F1 W10. The Briton posted a blistering 1:10.166. You can watch the footage right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej8n56fkgWY
Monaco Grand Prix Preview – The Last Five Winners
2020: Not held. 2019: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2018: Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing. 2017: Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari. 2016: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1, 2015: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1.
Monaco Grand Prix Preview – Tyres
Sole tyre-supplier Pirelli will be bringing with them to Monaco, the C3 white-marked Hards, the C4 yellow-branded Medium tyres and the C5 red-walled Soft rubber along with the green-marked Intermediate and blue-branded Full Wet tyres in case of rain.
All drivers will have eight sets of the softs, three sets of the mediums and two sets of the hards.
Monaco Grand Prix Preview – DRS Zone
There will only be one DRS zone in Monaco, with the detection point located 80 metres after turn 16 and the activation point located 18 metres after the end of La Rascasse.
Pitlane Speed Limits
Pitlane speeds will be 60km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.
ICYMI: Spanish GP Rewind – Hamilton out-foxes Verstappen to take victory
Lewis Hamilton claimed his 98th-career victory at the Spanish GP after a strategy worked to perfection by the Mercedes crew to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The two leaders came very close to tangling at the opening corner, with Verstappen making an aggressive pass to get ahead of the Briton, which forced the Silver Arrows to make two courageous strategy calls to get Hamilton back into a position to win his sixth Spanish Grand Prix.
When the 66 lap Spanish GP began, Verstappen looked to have a faster getaway than pole-sitter Hamilton, but the Dutchman tucked behind the Mercedes as it shot up to speed.
Verstappen then took the inside line for turn one and strongly held onto take the racing line through the second corner, which meant the two leaders were very close to colliding – Hamilton backed out and the tangle avoided by the slightest of difference.
Bottas followed the race leaders through the first two turns, but as he trailed behind his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton going into the third corner, he was overtaken by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who went around the outside of the Finn – mimicking Fernando Alonso’s similar move at the start of the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
Leclerc pushing his way to third meant the top two runners easy began to charge away in the early stages of the Grand Prix, with Verstappen and Hamilton lapping in the 1:23’s bracket.
Verstappen was able to pull clear to almost two seconds before Hamilton had just begun to fight back when the race was stabilised due to the deployment of the safety car on the eighth tour due to Yuki Tsunoda’s AT02 racer could be recovered from the outside of the revised turn ten – the AlphaTauri suffered a loss of power on Tsunoda as he reached the sweeping left-hander.
When the race went back to green on the 11th tour, Verstappen dropped Hamilton exiting the last chicane and weaved across the main straight to try and break the tow from the Mercedes behind, which was in any case close to the following Ferrari of Leclerc.
As DRS assistance was disable for a couple of laps after the race restart, Hamilton could not get close to the Red Bull whilst running just under a second adrift and Verstappen was able to increase his lead above the crucial one-second gap when DRS was activated.
Just like the start, Verstappen and Hamilton rapidly moved clear from Leclerc and Bottas – again running in the low 1:23’s that the rest of the field could not match.
As the Grand Prix passed it’s first third, Hamilton started to put Verstappen under pressure, who stopped on lap 24 for a set of C2 yellow side-walled mediums – but had to endure a 4.2 second stop as the Red Bull’s new left-rear tyre was still coming out of the garage when the Dutchman reached his pit-box.
But Mercedes did not immediately react to Red Bull by leaving Hamilton out – Team Boss Toto Wolff complained to FIA Race Director Michael Masi about Haas F1 Team’s Nikita Mazepin holding up Hamilton on the following lap that Verstappen pitted.
Hamilton remained out for another three tours before he came in to put on the medium rubber, with Leclerc following suit behind him and emerged well adrift of Bottas, who went in a lap before Verstappen.
Verstappen comfortably reclaimed the lead with Hamilton pitting and had a 5.5 second advantage at the end of the Briton’s out-lap.
But the Mercedes drivers’ tyre offset meant he could run at a much faster pace – with the reigning World Champion eating into Verstappen’s gap by around 1.5 seconds per tour as he put in a string of laps, hovering into the low-mid 1:21’s.
By the beginning of the 34th tour, he was only a second behind the leader and continued to reel him in – with Mercedes telling Bottas that his pace in third place was even good enough to catch Verstappen at the end.
In the following stage of the Grand Prix, Hamilton kept going in-and-out of DRS range in the battle with Verstappen but was not able to get close to the leader, who lifted his speed significantly to move into the 1:21’s when Hamilton reached the crucial one-second mark.
With the gap at the front stable, Mercedes opted for an aggressive call to bring Hamilton in once more at the end of the 42nd lap for another set of medium compounds – which were used earlier in the weekend.
At the end of Hamilton’s out-lap, the Briton had to chase down a 22 second gap, with Red Bull deciding to leave Verstappen out on a one-stop strategy to the end as he had no medium tyres left heading into the Grand Prix.
Hamilton again ate into Verstappen’s lead – continuously posting fastest lap times and running more than 1.5 seconds quicker than the Dutchman – but Hamilton did appear to lose some time passing Mercedes team-mate Bottas just the final 15 tours approached, with the second F1 W12 ordered not to hold up the other, but Hamilton still needed to make the critical but close-to-comfortable overtake into the revised turn ten on the 53rd lap.
But once Hamilton was clear from the Finn, he continued to hunt-down Verstappen with a series of fastest laps and reached the race leader again on lap 59.
As they ran down the main straight at the beginning of the next tour, Verstappen weaved once more to break the slipstream, but Hamilton’s pace was much better with DRS assistance, as the Briton darted ahead on the outside line and swept back into the lead at the same spot, he lost it on lap one.
Red Bull immediately then pitted Verstappen for a final stop to chase the fastest lap bonus point – following what Mercedes already planned to take with Bottas.
Hamilton crossed the line to claim the Spanish GP victory by 15.841 seconds, with Verstappen managing to take the bonus point on offer – posting a 1:18.149.
Leclerc came home a quiet fourth – Bottas had to get by the Ferrari with DRS assistance in the closing stages of the Grand Prix after the Finn’s late final stop – well clear of Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez, who finished fifth after winning a long battle with McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo.
Home favourite Carlos Sainz ended the race in seventh place for Ferrari and in-front of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who received a black-and-white flag for an aggressive late move to defend against the Spaniard into the first corner as the race reached its last quarter.
Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon fell from fifth on the grid at the start and reached the chequered flag in ninth place, ahead of AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, who came out on top after an intense battle with the pack outside the top ten fighting for the final point on offer – which was at that period headed by the other Alpine of Fernando Alonso, who wound finishing a low 17th – in the final tours.
Gasly was given a five-second time penalty at his initial stop for lining up too far over his grid stop for the beginning of the race.
Aston Martin pairing Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel were 11th and 13th respectively with Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen splitting the pairing in-between.
Williams Racing’s George Russell and Nicholas Latifi finished 14th and 16th respectively as Alfa’s Antonio Giovinazzi came home 15th.
The Haas F1 Team duo of Mick Schumacher and Mazepin brought up the rear.
The Situation
Reigning Champion Lewis Hamilton comes to Monaco leading the Driver’s Championship on 94 points and a 14-points lead over Max Verstappen who is second on 80 points whilst team-mate Valtteri Bottas is a further 47 behind the Briton in third on 47 points.
Mercedes returns to the glamorous principality sitting on top of the Constructors Championships with 141 points and a 29-point advantage over nearest rivals Red Bull Racing who are second on 112 points while McLaren Racing are third on 65 points and a further 76 behind the Silver Arrows.
Click here for the full Formula 1 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructor’s Championship standings.
F1 Quick-Fire News
- McLaren Racing and strategic partner, Gulf Oil International, unveiled a striking special livery ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. The stunning livery marks the sport’s return to the great principality and brings fans one of the most iconic and admired motorsport liveries of all time. McLaren has a deep and successful racing history with Gulf, and the two brands reunited in July 2020 when the Woking-based outfit announced the brands return as an official strategic partner. The retro livery mark’s McLaren’s tribute to Gulf’s classic design whilst reflecting a racing connection, which began in the days of team founder Bruce McLaren. The team will feature Gulf’s racing blue colourway alongside an orange stripe, based closely on Gulf’s legendary design, for the entire Monaco Grand Prix weekend. The theme will feature on both MCL35M racers, the racing suits of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, the team’s kit and across all McLaren’s social media platforms. Also, Norris and Ricciardo will wear race helmets with retro designs, especially created for Monaco, which will be raffled for the Woking squad’s mental health charity partner, Mind.
- The first of three 2021 events, which features the all-new Sprint Qualifying weekend format will be the British Grand Prix at Silverstone from July 16-18. The revised schedule will see Free Practice 1 and Qualifying on Friday, followed by Free Practice 2 and Sprint Qualifying on Saturday, with the Grand Prix itself as usual on Sunday. The weekend schedule: FRIDAY – FP1: 1430-1530, Qualifying: 1800-1900. SATURDAY – FP2: 1200-1300, Sprint Qualifying: 1630-1700. SUNDAY – Race: 1500. *All local times.
- Formula 1 has updated it’s 2021 calendar, with new coronavirus travel restrictions meaning it’s no longer possible to have the Turkish Grand Prix from May 11-13. That weekend will remain free, with the French Grand Prix moving up a week earlier than originally planned for June 18-20 and a second race in Austria – the Styrian Grand Prix – added to the schedule on June 25-27. This creates a France-Styria-Austria triple header, with the Austrian Grand Prix remaining in it’s July 2-4 spot. The changes mean there will continue to be 23 races for the 2021 campaign.
- McLaren Racing have announced that it has extended it’s contract with Lando Norris on a multi-year deal. The 21-year-old hailing from Somerset, UK, has been part of the Woking family since 2017 since early 2017, joining as test and simulator driver, following championship success in all but one of the junior single-seater formulae. Norris became test and reserve driver for the team in 2018, participating in several free practice sessions, before being promoted for a full-time seat in 2019. Since his debut at the season-opening 2019 Australian Grand Prix, the Briton has emerged as one of the sport’s brightest talents and popular drivers, claiming two podiums at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix and this season’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. This announcement secures McLaren’s driver line-up, confirming Norris alongside Daniel Ricciardo, who also began his long-tern agreement with the Woking-based outfit at the beginning of the 2021 campaign. The confirmation of it’s driver pairing for 2022 and beyond shows McLaren’s commitment for stability in the future and another step in it’s plans for it’s push to battle at the front of the pack. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said: “I’m delighted with the extension of our agreement with Lando for 2022 and beyond. He’s been instrumental in our return of form here at McLaren and we’re proud of the growth he’s shown since he first started with us back in 2017. Lando is one of the brightest talents on the Formula 1 grid and we look forward to seeing him continue to go from strength-to-strength both on and off track.” Brown concluded. Credit to McLaren Racing for the quote.
The Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2021 weekend begins Thursday May 20 with Free Practice 1 and 2. The action resumes Saturday May 22 with Free Practice 3 and Qualifying followed by the 78 lap Race on Sunday May 23.
