Catching up at the Monaco Grand Prix remains impossible

A Formula 1 race that was so boring and farce that even the participants apologized for it: that was the Monaco Grand Prix last Sunday. Lando Norris won the more than an hour and a half procession, in which it was overtaken once, while a plan from the F1 organization to make the fight more exciting this year yielded Kolderieke scenes.

What did that plan mean?

Because Formula 1 has been struggling with a catch -up problem on the tight street trail in Monaco, the World Autosportbond FIA seemed a good idea to have the drivers in Monaco obliged to make two pit stops for new ties this year. Normally it is more than sufficient in the Princoman to change tires once (the mandatory minimum number during all races). An extra stop, the thought was, would yield more tactical variation. And because catching up in Monaco is actually only possible by tactically trumping the opponent with pit stops, the pit stop plan should therefore yield more tension.

The immediate reason was last year’s race, perhaps the most provocative Monaco edition ever. In the first round the race was stopped due to a crash. All drivers changed their tires during that interruption, and therefore no longer had to make pit stops after the resumption. As a result, the complete top ten in the order she had started.

Why is catching up so difficult in Monaco?

The circuit, which is completely surrounded by Vangrails, is extremely narrow and winding. Modern F1 cars have followed long straight pieces by sharp turns needed to catch up-Monaco offers exactly zero of that kind of places.

That is why Monaco has been the course where the least is overtaken for decades. Those who are not fast must be wide – that is, positioning his car so pontifically on the road that there is literally no room to pass by physically. In 1992, Ayrton Senna was able to do the much faster Nigel Mansell win.

Where overtaking in Monaco was difficult at the time, but sometimes still feasible, it is now almost impossible. F1 cars are greater than ever. Five and a half meters long, more than a meter more than twenty years ago, and about 20 centimeters wider. It makes the Grand Prix of Monaco, held for the first time in 1929, in fact one big anachronism, which is totally out of the tune on the F1 calendar between the spacious permanent circuits and modern street trips over wide boulevards.

Monaco is only on the program because of the history and prestige. And for the drivers, Monaco is the adrenaline moment of the year. The qualification at least, when catching up does not play a role and simply try to drive as fast as they can: with 170 kilometers per hour on average, and 270 maximum, they then race through streets where you normally can 50.

How did the pit stop plan work out?

Not so good. All tactical tension was sucked out of the race by the cunning method of Williams and Racing Bulls. Both teams gave one of their two drivers to deliberately drive slowly, and thus keep up the rest of the field, so that the other could drive away to make his pit stops without loss of positions. The moving roadblocks sometimes went slower for four seconds per round than usual and were still not overtaken. That is only possible in Monaco.

In itself, the list of Williams and Racing Bulls had been applied more often in recent years. But due to the two mandatory pit stops, the effect was much worse: the blockers had to stop things even longer, to give their teammates time for not one, but two pit stops.

In the end, only the first five drivers quickly ran around. Furthermore, the majority formed a snake of (relatively) slow-hobbing F1 cars. From ninth place, all riders were set twice on a round by the leaders. In the very last round there was only A catch -up campaign: Lance Stroll passed Nico Hülkenberg when the tunnel came out.

« Excuse everyone who has been watching, » said Williams driver Alexander Albon Afterwards. Williams team boss James Vowles was not proud either: he said via an app Sorry against his Mercedes colleague Toto Wolff. According to Max Verstappenwho finished fourth, the race had nothing to do with Formula 1 anymore. « It looked like Mario Kart. Maybe we can also start throwing bananas. »

How should Monaco continue?

Mercedes driver George Russell suggested only riding the qualification, and simply scraping the entire race. « We like that best, like that (the viewers) like the most. And 99 percent of people here in Monaco are drinking champagne on their yacht, so they don’t care. »

Another option, again mentioned by Verstappens team boss Christian Horneris adjusting the circuit, which has hardly changed since 1929. « There must just be one place where you can catch up. (…) We all like to come to Monaco, but everything has to go with the times. »

Such radical plans will not get through it soon. A bright spot is that the cars next year smalleralthough the 20 centimeters of length and 10 centimeters width saving will also not make a world of difference.

In short: certainly until 2031, the year in which Monaco’s current contract ends, the annual sleep -inducing parade on the Côte d’Azur is part of it.

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