The European season gets underway with one of the most recognisable races in motorsport, kicking off a run of six races in eight weeks. Kimi Antonelli’s commanding lead in the Drivers’ Championship is not the only talking point as the motorhomes make a return this weekend in Monte Carlo.
It’s Monaco
This is an entry that can absolutely make an annual appearance in this feature, because the Monaco Grand Prix remains one of the most iconic events on the sporting calendar.
The setting is one thing, with the stunning backdrop of the Principality climbing up the hillside around the harbour, and the race track winding its way past iconic venues such as Casino Square and the Swimming Pool. With the Mediterranean Sea often shimmering away in the background, too, it’s a beautiful place for a race.
And while the race itself can sometimes need an unexpected interruption to mix up the order, that puts a huge importance on Qualifying for one of the most crucial Saturday sessions of the season.
An F1 car lapping Monaco even on its own in practice is a spectacular sight, but doing so when on the ragged edge during a qualifying lap is a level above, and a massive test of driver skill, bravery and concentration. The nature of the layout should also lend itself to this generation of car, with drivers having to handle the huge amount of torque in this year’s more nimble machinery, while also having plenty of energy at their disposal.
Winning the Monaco Grand Prix is often listed as one of the top ambitions of those on the grid, but will we be crowning a new winner this season?
Ferrari and McLaren in the fight?
Mercedes might have come under pressure in the Sprint in Canada – having also been beaten in the Sprint in Miami – but they maintained a 100% record in Grands Prix courtesy of Kimi Antonelli’s victory.
That run could well come under threat this weekend, though, as Monaco provides a unique challenge that is predicted to play into the hands of some of their rivals.
Ferrari have been singled out by both McLaren and Mercedes as likely being strong, thanks to the emphasis on chassis performance over power unit around the tight and twisty street circuit. None of the full throttle sections are particularly long, changing the amount of influence the power unit can have on lap time.
This year’s Ferrari has looked very strong in corners but lacking on straights, whereas the Mercedes – as good a car as it is – will potentially lose some of its power advantage in Monaco.
McLaren also think they will benefit from the number of low speed corners in Monte Carlo, as that’s an area they feel particularly competitive compared to their rivals. If both teams are able to exploit their strengths, then Mercedes could face some significant challengers for victory.
Russell with a gap to close
The Canadian Grand Prix was exactly what George Russell was hoping for in a number of ways, as he bounced back from a disappointing weekend in Miami to take the fight to team mate Antonelli.
Russell took pole position for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix itself – with the exact same margin over Antonelli of 0.068s in each qualifying session – and duly converted the first one into victory in the Sprint, despite a tense battle at times with the championship leader.
The race was playing out in very similar fashion, with both drivers pushing hard and swapping places on multiple occasions, but Russell had got himself back into the lead when a reliability issue stopped him 30 laps into the race.
The performance level was back to the sort of standard that Russell had been confident he would produce, but the end result leaves him 43 points adrift of Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship and with a lot of work to do to close it. There is a long, long way to go this season, and it might not be a straight fight between the Mercedes pair this weekend, but Russell will hope to start reducing the gap at the earliest possible opportunity.
Silly season ramping up
Five rounds into the season and the driver market is already starting to become a talking point. It did feel somewhat early to be discussing rumours about driver futures in Canada given it was only the fifth round of the season, but June is often when those negotiations start to become more serious.
Ayao Komatsu was extremely forthright in his insistence that Haas would be sticking with its line-up of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman until the end of the season, following some media speculation over Ocon’s position after Miami. Komatsu did admit, though, that we’re into the key part of the year when decisions are made on future driver pairings.
Oscar Piastri also rejected links to Red Bull should Max Verstappen move on, and he remains under contract at McLaren, as the focus starts shifting to how the 2027 grid will look.
There are a number of drivers with either expiring contracts or options in their deals that could allow them to switch teams, and as the races come thick and fast during the European season we can expect the market to start moving.
Even trickier traffic challenges
Traffic during a Qualifying lap has always been a major obstacle for teams and drivers to have to deal with, particularly during Q1 when all of the cars are on track at the same time.
The addition of Cadillac to the grid has certainly not made that aspect of the race weekend any more simple, with 22 cars now set to be lapping at the same time when chasing the best time to try and advance from the first part of Qualifying.
Finding clean air to complete a Qualifying run is often one of the priorities for strategists and race engineers – as is not impeding another driver – but it will be an even more hectic session than it has been for a number of years.
Traffic can also play a part during practice as well, with the potential for a variety run plans seeing cars lapping at different speeds, and those on lower fuel finding themselves held up at a time when there is no obligation to move out of the way for another car. Expect an irate radio message or two during the weekend.