On many F1 race weekends, which drivers end up on the podium or even win depends on the car in their hands.
But at the Monaco Grand Prix, it could take things into their own hands.
Throughout this week, and at Thursday’s FIA press conference, many drivers said that Monaco is one of those circuits where not only do they push the limits, but the drivers’ willingness to often go beyond them makes the difference. Outlined. Qualifying will be key at Monaco given the difficulty of overtaking on the track, but drivers looking to push the limits will need the required 10 minutes, which can mean the difference between starting 5th and starting 1st. He is a driver who finds every second.
Charles Leclerc called it a “risk assessment” at Thursday’s FIA press conference.
“Maybe in Monaco it’s a bit less than other circuits, other city circuits, but I think it’s just a risk assessment,” Leclerc said. “And that’s where a driver can make a bit of a difference by taking more risks. Either it pays off or it doesn’t pay off at all. But this is something I particularly appreciate at this circuit.”
“If you try to get a little closer to the limit, it shows right away in your lap times,” Leclerc added. “And of course when you get into Q3 you start getting pretty close to the wall because you’ve done a lot of laps. But it’s exciting. You don’t get that feeling anywhere else on the calendar. So in Monaco I think risk assessment makes a difference.”
Alexander Albon, who qualified 10th for Toro Rosso (now Visa Cash App RB F1 Team) at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix, agreed that risk assessment will be important in Monte Carlo.
“I don’t think it’s pressure in the sense of comparing yourself to your rivals, but it’s just you, and the sense of how much risk you’re taking. That part is exciting,” Albon added. . “As Charles said, I think it’s one of the few races, maybe the only race, where you feel like you’ve put everything on the line after one lap. It’s very unique.”
Max Verstappen, who took pole position at Monaco last season by pushing the RB19 to the limit in the third quarter of qualifying, called Monaco qualifying one of the most adrenaline-pumping thrills in the sport.
“Well, I think it’s even more difficult because it’s very narrow compared to other street circuits. And especially in qualifying you can kind of feel your heart rate, you get that adrenaline rush,” Verstappen said.
“[Monaco] “It’s different,” continued the Red Bull driver. “I mean, yeah, I’m not a fan of street circuits, but in qualifying here, you can clearly see the attention to detail. Yeah, it’s crazy. And that’s definitely what makes it so special. I did.”
One of the drivers who put pressure on Verstappen for pole position here last season was Esteban Ocon, who qualified and finished third in Monaco in 2023. The Alpine driver spoke about his sensational lap in Q3, lending further weight to the idea that Saturday’s race may come down to the driver in the box.
Especially on Saturday, when the match will be played in Monaco.
“Yeah, because I touched the wall twice! But yeah, like Charles said, I think it’s very exciting, and when you start to feel like you’re putting together good laps, there’s no feeling like it,” Ocon recalled. “And what’s stressful is that Saturday is the most important day of the weekend, usually it’s 80 per cent of the weekend, but Saturday is probably 99 per cent.
“So compared to a normal weekend, Saturday is more stressful.”
