Before I get into my race report, I must touch on the tributes to Niki Lauda.
All of the drivers were wearing a red hat emblazoned with Niki across the front in tribute and took part in a minute’s silence before the race, huddled in a circle which had one of Niki’s helmets in the middle. Niki will be greatly missed in the F1 paddock for sure.
Off the start, Max Verstappen challenged Valtteri Bottas for second place but was just unable to get up the inside of the Finn into Sainte Devote.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc was making good on his promise to do some ‘extreme overtaking’. He overtook Lando Norris brilliantly on the inside of the Loews Hairpin for 13th position. Leclerc continued to be extremely aggressive while trying to overtake Romain Grosjean, eventually getting past the Frenchman with a dramatic lunge up the inside into Rascasse.
On the following lap, Leclerc made another lunge into Rascasse, this time on Nico Hulkenberg but was unsuccessful as he clipped the barrier with his right rear tyre. This caused Leclerc to have a puncture which caused a massive delamination of the right rear tyre as well as major damage to the floor.
Leclerc eventually retired as he found the car too difficult to drive because of the floor damage. A terrible end to a terrible weekend.
As Leclerc tried to get back to the pits as quickly as he possibly could, he left some debris on the track and so a safety car was deployed. Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Seb Vettel all took advantage of this by making a pit stop.
This was to end up being the defining part of the race as Verstappen had an unsafe release as he made contact with Bottas when leaving his pit box. Verstappen was duly awarded a five-second time penalty as a result while Bottas ended up behind Vettel as he needed to pit again due to a loss of tyre pressure because of the contact with Verstappen.
Further behind, Antonio Giovinazzi tried an opportunistic move on Robert Kubica at Rascasse but there was no gap and Kubica was spun around. Giovinazzi was awarded a ten-second time penalty for causing this collision.
At the front, Hamilton was struggling on his tyres, reporting that the front-left was ‘opening up’. This allowed Verstappen to keep touch with Hamilton and was told on the radio that he could push if he wanted to. Verstappen did just that and that then meant that his tyres began to deteriorate just like Hamilton’s.
(Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
The great action in the midfield continued as Lance Stroll locked up into the Loews Hairpin, going wide, allowing Kimi Raikkonen to try and make a move on the inside. Stroll then tried to get back on the racing line, making contact with Raikkonen in the process, much to the Alfa Romeo driver’s frustration. Stroll was awarded a five-second time penalty.
Sergio Perez was also getting his elbows out as he tried to overtake Kevin Magnussen up the inside of the Nouvelle Chicane. However, Magnussen did not yield the position and cut the chicane with Perez arguing on team radio that he should have got the position.
Meanwhile, back in front, Verstappen was told to lift and coast ‘and it’s not for fuel’ as his Red Bull suffered from overheating issues after following Hamilton for the majority of the race.
Verstappen did have another run at Hamilton in the last few laps of the race, consistently going to the outside of the Loews Hairpin to let Hamilton know that he was there. Hamilton parked his car slap bang on the racing line so the Dutchman couldn’t get past.
Then, three laps from the finish, Verstappen went for an overtake up the inside of Hamilton into the Nouvelle chicane. However, Verstappen locked up, made contact with Hamilton and couldn’t make the move stick. At least he had a go though.
From there on in, Hamilton was able to cruise to the finish for his third Monaco Grand Prix victory.
The name of three-time Formula One world champion Niki Lauda is written on the helmet of Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany during the second practice session at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Thursday, May 23, 2019. Three-time Formula One world champion Niki Lauda, who won two of his titles after a horrific crash that left him with serious burns and went on to become a prominent figure in the aviation industry, has died on May 21, 2109. He was 70. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Peter Bonnington, Hamilton’s race engineer, declared, “That one is for Niki.”
Lewis Hamilton spoke to David Coulthard after the race and said, “That was probably the hardest race I’ve had.” He also acknowledged the passing of Niki Lauda, saying, “I know he’d be taking his hat off today. We truly miss him.”
Hamilton also reflected on Mercedes’ formidable start to the season, saying, “The team has done an incredible job. What we’ve achieved in the first six races is remarkable.”
After Niki Lauda’s funeral this week, Formula 1 will move on, as it always does. The next race is in Canada in a fortnight’s time.
Nicholas Belardo
Roar Guru
See the issue with Monaco, is it’s a street circuit that in most places, logistically can’t be modified. The only major modifications of note I can think of ever at Monaco are: 2006 - Swimming pool complex modified due to land reclaiming, which saw new stands and a tiny bit of run off, and slight modifications to rascasse, as well as finally putting the pit lane behind the garages. On top of this, removal of the wall up the inside of St. devote (removable roundabout that used to be permanent) which now means the pit lane exit is open Sometime in the 80s (or maybe the 70s), the chicane after the tunnel was modified to its current shape. It used to be further down I believe, and just a quick left right. Sometime prior to this in the 70s as well, the swimming pool was built, which saw the swimming pool chicanes put in (although, as mentioned earlier, they weren’t as open as they are now), as well as turning what was the final hairpin, into the couple corners they are now (rascasse and Anthony Noughes I think?)
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
A good Monaco quali lap is when I flinch every time the car gets close to the wall! It's like threading the eye of a needle!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Cheers Josh. Yeah, if you change the rules for one race you’d have to do it for every. Every year the question is always asked about Monaco, though it’s always got something magical about it. Even if it’s seeing onboard Quali laps and watching these hybrid monsters nail a perfect run and not stick it in the wall!
Damo
Guest
Thanks for the reply Josh (and being so respectful about it). As I said, not an expert so it's disappointing that not much can be done. Monaco was always a must watch for me every year but if the track is at its maximum logistically now then I can't see many other options.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
While I think you make excellent points about reprofiling the Monaco circuit, logistically this is impossible. When you get to the end of the main straight, there are two right turns you can make: one leads you up Beau Rivage to Casino Square and the other leads you down the hill to the Nouvelle Chicane (the latter is the Formula E circuit). Therefore, Sainte Devote cannot be redesigned unless you run the risk of the racing line forming part of the pit lane. As for the Nouvelle Chicane, that cannot be changed as the escape route is the road from Sainte Devote that I mentioned earlier (the Formula E circuit). The chicane has already been moved as far down as possible after Sergio Perez's crash there in 2011. You could get rid of the chicane entirely but there is no overtaking opportunity into Tabac so there would be no use doing that. And finally with Anthony Noghes, the kink is there because there is a building on the outside of the corner and so that corner cannot be reprofiled either. Hope that all helps. Re. Jawad's point: let's not change anything because one grand prix isn't as good as the other twenty. Let's also not remove Monaco from the calendar just because it doesn't provide good racing all the time. You could say exactly the same thing about some of the other grands prix we've had in the principality over the ninety years that it has been run!
Damo
Guest
Hi Jawad, I did hear that option but to me it sounded too forced. At no other track would the same rules be used. The concept of forcing drivers to stop and use specific tyres reeks of too much interference and is a couple of steps away from track sprinklers! (ok, not quite that bad but you get the idea) In my mind, if you wanted to force pitstops you go back to refueling with minimum fuel loads to be used, in conjunction with the current tyre rules. But there's a reason they don't do refueling anymore. That said, none of it will probably change Monaco. The cars and technology have now outgrown the track. 1) I think they need to look at the Nouvelle Chicane to maximise overtake opportunities, maybe use some of the run off further along and move the chicane further down to give the chasing car a better slipstream, and redesign it to give more room through apex. 2) I'd also look at turn 18 & 19 (Noghes). Is 19 really necessary? it's a little kink that just shortens pit straight, maybe remove it, making 18 the last corner and maximise DRS length too. I was watching closely and I swear there's room outside the barriers to use. 3) Then finally, with DRS hopefully being more useful, redesign turn 1 to open the apex. I think this one is a bit harder logistically though. Being the furthest from a track designer as possible I'm probably miles away from the right answer but I do feel the track is now the issue, not the race rules.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
What do you think Damo, about enforcing a second pit-stop for all drivers or even as was brought up in the Sky coverage on the weekend, have it mandatory to use all 3 dry compounds during the race? It mightn’t improve the overtaking situation on-track, but at least there’s more of a chance that the leaders can run flat out on newer tyres and keep the pace at front fast. More confidence too with the added grip, to perhaps send some moves too.
Damo
Guest
I wrote this in Jawad's blog, but despite the drama of the last couple of years' winners I think there needs to be a serious look at the track layout in Monaco. 2 years of hobbled cars going 6-7 secs a lap slower for majority of the race and winning is not fun to watch once the drama dies after you realise they can't be overtaken. Monaco is great, I love the history of it but every year the race becomes even more and more processional.