Roar Guru
The most important, must-watch grand prix of the year is almost here – the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix – and it is hard not to be excited.
Sure, they usually turn out to be dull, with no overtaking and unjustified hype, but even without action it is still amazing to watch the cars go around the famous circuit.
So, instead of a full 2018 Monaco Grand Prix preview, here is a top five of just about everything that one could think of.
Points of interests
Are Mercedes really going to be struggling on the streets of Monaco?
Is this finally a chance for Red Bull to get a pole position and grab an easy win?
Will the race continue the trend of one very angry person being on the podium?
Which celebrities will be at Lewis Hamilton’s side if he makes the podium?
Will Monaco finally give Fernando Alonso an opportunity to show his talents right at the front?
Racing talents
Lewis Hamilton
Sebastian Vettel
Daniel Ricciardo
Max Verstappen
Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes seem genuinely worried about not being the fastest car at Monaco, but they do have Hamilton, an expert around these streets. Ferrari look as strong as ever, and Vettel has won twice in Monaco – including last season – but his record on street tracks since then isn’t great.
Think back to Singapore 2017 and Azerbaijan 2018. Red Bull should be super strong, and it will be one of the tracks where they will be genuine front runners and competing for pole.
Ricciardo deserves a win after being robbed a few seasons back, and races unlike anyone else.
Verstappen will be fast and competitive here too, but a question still remains over temperament.
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Top five predictions
Daniel Ricciardo
Lewis Hamilton
Fernando Alonso
Sergio Perez
Carlos Sainz
Time for a bold prediction for a race that involves high-profile accidents, a glorious return to winning ways for our Australian Formula One Hero, and a few smokies to grab their chance in the spotlight at a place where a car’s lack of performance is not as pronounced.
Retirement predictions
Sebastial Vettel
Max Verstappen
Esteban Ocon
Lance Stroll
Brendon Hartley
A bold prediction to tip two of the front-runners to be among the first retirements, but it happened in 2017, Monaco is tight, and Vettel and Max have previous form.
The other tips almost select themselves – Force India drivers have crashed into each other a few times in the past, and not much is going right for Williams at the moment. It has been suggested that Hartley is in need of a good result soon to keep his drive, and Monaco can hurt.