The Monaco GP is one of those fixtures on the F1 calendar, notorious for turning the results on their heads. In most of those instances, the factor that played the biggest role was rain. The historic race will return this weekend, and lo and behold, there is a good chance of rain to make things exciting.
As per Formula 1 (the official website), there is a high chance of rain on Friday and Saturday. Both days will see overcast conditions for the most part with a 40% chance of rain on each day. Sunday will remain partly sunny with a less than 20% chance of rain.
Temperatures will remain relatively cooler on all three days. On Friday, the day for two practice sessions, maximum temperatures can reach 20°C (68°F). The minimum temperature for the day is expected to hover around 14°C (57.2°F).
On Saturday, the FP3, and the all-important qualifying day, the maximum temperature will remain the same as the previous day. The minimum temperature, however, can go up a notch to 15°C (59°F). Sunday will see a further rise in both minimum and maximum temperature at 16°C (60.8°F) and 23°C (73.4°F), respectively.
They didn’t tell us about this in Monaco… ☔️#MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/1sXpwVeHoF
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 23, 2024
The Monaco GP started happening in 1929. Since then, the circuit has featured on the calendar 80 times in the F1 world championship and is one of the most prestigious races in motorsport. It is also one of the three races that a driver must win to bag the triple crown. The other two are the Indy500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Despite several drivers enjoying years of dominance in the modern F1 era, none have surpassed Ayrton Senna’s record in Monaco. The Brazilian holds the record for most wins (6) and most pole positions (5). In recent times, Charles Leclerc has suffered a bout of misfortune leaving him winless at home.
Red Bull vulnerable at the Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco circuit, owing to its street credence, is one of the narrowest tracks on the calendar. That factor makes it one of the most difficult tracks to perform overtakes on. Moreover, the twisty sections, shorter straights, and ever-evolving track conditions make it a testing track for the drivers.
While that will prove to be something to keep in mind for all teams, Red Bull will walk in with an extra bit of caution. The margin they held over rivals in 2023 has faded away considerably in the current season. On top of that, McLaren and Ferrari seem to be in high spirits with their recent performances and successful upgrade packages.
Max Verstappen is wary of the threat. The Dutchman, as per @JunaidSamodien_ on X, said, “We are quite a few points ahead but if stop winning that can turn around quite quickly. But we just need to focus on ourselves.”
Charles Leclerc says it’s not a concern, as they looked at McLaren and Red Bull pace on the straights in Imola. He says it will a thing that will continue this season, but they will work on finding a way to improve the speed in that area.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) May 23, 2024
Local hero Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, is not too concerned with the straight-line speeds of Red Bull and McLaren. That, he believes, will continue to be a threat throughout the season. Instead of worrying about them, Ferrari needs to concentrate on their project.
