Following an action packed Spanish Grand Prix last weekend which saw Charles Leclerc lose a dominant lead due to a power unit issue and see his main title rival Max Verstappen win with a Red Bull one-two, the Formula 1 teams head to Monaco for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, the jewel in F1’s crown, which takes place on Sunday 29th May.
The practice sessions get under way on Friday at 1:00pm, followed by the second practice session at 4:00pm and the third practice session at midday on Saturday ahead of Qualifying which starts at 3:00pm, with the race itself getting under way at 2:00pm on Sunday.
This iconic race circuit around the streets of Monaco is 3.337 km in length and with a race that is 78 laps long, the cars will have driven a total distance of 260.286 km by the time they cross the finish line.
The Monaco Grand Prix is one of motorsport’s oldest events in the motor racing calendar and was first run in 1929. It was in 1950 that it became part of Formula 1’s inaugural World Championship season. It has only been absent from the schedule on four occasions during Formula 1’s 72-year history.
The circuit is notoriously difficult to overtake on with its demanding layout winding itself around the narrow streets of Monaco’s Principality, perched along the pretty French Riviera. The Circuit de Monaco remains still largely similar to the layout first run on the circuit 93 years ago, with the 3.3 km track passing by landmarks such as the Hotel de Paris, Casino de Monte-Carlo and the iconic Port Hercule, filled with large superyachts.
Getting a good track position in qualifying is all important at Monaco as passing is almost impossible with the tight barriers either side of the track which can quickly bite any driver who oversteps the limit.
And while the Circuit de Monaco maybe the shortest and slowest on the Formula 1 calendar it is still among the most frenetic and prestigious.
Last year Max Verstappen snatched victory away from local hero Charles Leclerc. It should have been Ferrari’s day when Leclerc took pole position. But it was not to be, as Leclerc failed to even take the start having suffered a driveshaft issue putting an end to his hopes of a Monaco victory. Will Leclerc win Monaco this year?
