After last weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola was canceled due to heavy flooding, the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship returns this weekend with round seven, the Monaco Grand Prix, which takes us through the streets of Monte-Carlo.
The Monaco Grand Prix is the most famous race on the calendar, and every driver wants to win at least once in their career. However, this is a bit of an anomaly due to the low speeds achieved on Monaco’s tight street circuit, with only 34% of a lap completed at full throttle. The conditions make overtaking extremely difficult, so qualifying at Monaco is more important than at any other circuit.
The first Monaco Grand Prix was organized in 1929 by Antony Noghès, whose name appears on the last corner of the current circuit. And the Monaco race was also on the inaugural F1 calendar of the 1950s and has been a regular fixture since 1955. The layout of the 2.1-mile street circuit, officially the Circuit de Monaco, has remained largely unchanged in over the years with the biggest updates taking place. in 2004 when a new well complex was built.
Its narrow layout and narrow walls mean there’s no room for error, so even at low speeds drivers need full concentration at all times. Braking as little as seven feet too late can ruin the whole weekend. If a driver is lucky, he will find himself on a loophole. Otherwise, the car is destroyed.
Circuit de Monaco, home of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix
Grip levels are also low as the circuit consists entirely of public roads which open to normal traffic in the evening after practice on Friday and qualifying on Saturday, meaning there isn’t much rubber left. on the surface at race time on Sunday. As a result, the cars run a special high downforce setup at Monaco to help maximize grip.
The slippery surface combined with slow speeds means minimal tire wear and degradation. Accordingly, Pirelli has named its softest compounds: C3 in hard white, C4 in medium yellow and C5 in soft red. We could also see the new Cinturato Blue rain tires used this weekend, as rain is forecast for Sunday’s race. New tires don’t need covers when not in use, according to Pirelli.
A number of teams had planned to execute their first upgrades of the season in the previous round at Imola, and we might see them launched in Monaco instead. Mercedes-Benz AMG has confirmed it will get six upgrades this weekend, including new mounting points for the suspension, redesigned sidepods and a revised rear wing.
At the start of the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the drivers’ championship with 119 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is second with 105 points and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is third with 75 points. In the constructors’ championship, Red Bull leads with 224 points, against Aston Martin’s 102 and Mercedes’ 96. Last year’s winner in Monaco was Perez, driving for Red Bull.
