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Motorsport

Motorsport.com staff writers

Five quick takeaways from F1's Monaco Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli George Russell Monaco Charles Leclerc Isack Hadjar Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen Oscar Piastri McLaren Red Bull

Kimi Antonelli hypetrain isn't slowing down

Qualifying in Monaco is quite possibly the difficult test of any Formula 1 driver, between the technical challenge, the balance between risk and reward and the sheer pressure involved because of how crucial Saturday is for the race outcome.

With 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli fending off team-mate George Russell, as well as the Briton's pre-weekend mind games, Monaco's 3.337km street circuit offered plenty of opportunities for Antonelli to trip up.

Instead, he rose to the occasion with an astonishing qualifying lap on Saturday, which paved the way for a cool and collected cruise to victory during Sunday's 78-lap parade.

Add Russell's low-speed woes and his luckless afternoon on Sunday, which prevented him from collecting any points, and Antonelli is in the driving seat for the title race even firmer than he was before.

- Filip Cleeren

Isack Hadjar gets first Red Bull podium ahead of key Barcelona test

Max Verstappen’s Monaco Grand Prix lasted even less time than the journey back to his apartment, but Isack Hadjar saved the day by securing his first-ever podium in Red Bull Racing colours.

The Monaco weekend has been a true rollercoaster for Laurent Mekies’ squad. Verstappen surprised friend and foe alike by putting the RB22 on the front row of the grid in qualifying. It came as a welcome boost after he had predicted in Montreal that he would need a new back for Monaco.

It showed Red Bull performed better than expected over the bumps and kerbs, although that was undone on Sunday by engine problems. According to Verstappen, he already felt those during the formation lap, then described the pre-start procedure as messy and lost the power unit as soon as he released the clutch.

Hadjar seemed destined for a similar fate after reporting power unit issues rather vocally over the team radio. A great opportunity appeared to be slipping through Red Bull’s fingers, but that was before another dose of drama unfolded on the streets of Monte Carlo.

It suddenly handed Hadjar his first podium as a Red Bull Racing driver and his second in F1, although his potential safety car infringement will be investigated after the race. It made for a day of contrasting fortunes, and comes just ahead of what Verstappen has called the real test for the team: Barcelona.

Since the Miami upgrade package, most races have taken place on tracks dominated by slow-speed corners, meaning the all-round challenge of Barcelona should provide a clearer picture of where Red Bull truly stands. At the very least, Hadjar managed to salvage this weekend on a very turbulent day.

- Ronald Vording

George Russell's title hopes fade further into obscurity

George Russell, Mercedes (Photo by: Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images)

There’s some truth in the suggestion that luck hasn’t exactly been on Russell’s side this season. A few misfortunes have certainly cost him points here and there, and his retirement in Canada was a major blow to his championship hopes. And now came another one - with all kinds of misfortune the pre-season title favourite had to contend with on Sunday in Monaco.

But still, weekends like those in the Principality and Miami have also highlighted that he is not entirely comfortable with the W17 and, unlike his young team-mate, lacks consistency from track to track. When Russell is quick, Antonelli is always close. But when George struggles to extract the maximum from the car, Kimi is often in a different league altogether.

Monaco saw Russell surrender another huge chunk of points in the championship and, while the season is still far from over, the gap is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

The problem for George is not just the deficit itself, but the fact that Antonelli is showing no signs of weakness.

- Oleg Karpov

McLaren leaves Monaco with more questions than answers

Andrea Stella arrived in Monaco expecting McLaren's strength in low-speed corners to get it at least close to contention around Monaco. Instead, the weekend turned into one of its biggest disappointments of the season.

Norris' fifth time in Q2 offered some promise, but when it mattered neither the reigning world champion nor team-mate Oscar Piastri ever looked capable of fighting at the front, ultimately qualifying only seventh and eighth on the grid.

Starting from those positions always made Sunday's race an uphill battle, but McLaren's pace offered little hope of a recovery. Piastri spent the afternoon in a lonely sixth place and was never able to challenge Hadjar or Russell, even when the latter encountered problems during the race.

The situation worsened when Norris was forced to retire after 43 laps with a power unit issue, marking his second consecutive DNF following another mechanical failure in Canada.

After celebrating a 1-3 in Monaco just a year ago, McLaren leaves the Principality with far more questions than answers. Among the biggest question marks is the revised version of its front wing, first introduced in Montreal and brought to Monaco in an updated specification, yet once again abandoned before qualifying after not delivering the performance gains the team had expected.

- Federico Faturos

Charles Leclerc's home race turns into nightmare

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (Photo by: Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images)

F1 drivers and their home races, it hasn't been a great combination yet this year. First there was Piastri's reconnaissance lap crash in Melbourne and now Leclerc's homecoming in Monaco slowly but surely spiralled out of control, starting with crippling braking issues that frustrated him in qualifying and relegated him to a fourth-placed start.

From there Leclerc was pretty much stuck and was left furious when Ferrari - seemingly without justifiable reason - brought him into the pits a second time under the safety car, allowing team-mate Lewis Hamilton to sit out his penalty without losing second.

It further angered Leclerc as he then plowed into the barriers at Rascasse with recurring brake issues, though the track breaking up in the braking zone may have also played a part. As Hamilton capped off a return to form with another second place, Leclerc won't be sleeping well tonight.

- Filip Cleeren