Monaco Grand Prix: What to expect this weekend

• The Monaco Grand Prix will take place in Monte Carlo just one week after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris engaged in a tight race for victory in Imola.
• We look at the biggest talking points for this race weekeend.

The Monaco Grand Prix will take place in Monte Carlo just one week after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris engaged in a tight race for victory in Imola.

We look at the biggest talking points for this race weekeend.

Charles Leclerc needs to win at home

Charles Leclerc.|PHOTO: F1|

This weekend, besides Red Bull and Ferrari, there will be a particular emphasis on Ferrari, as there always is. Because it is Charles Leclerc’s home grand prix, in addition to the team’s ongoing popularity.

Leclerc is aiming for his first-ever podium performance in the royal box, despite the fact that he will be participating in his fifth Monaco Grand Prix with Ferrari this weekend—his sixth overall. Leclerc has been on the podium in four grands prix this year, including the past two, and has not placed worse than fourth in any of the seven events thus far. Surely this weekend is when he’s finally going to realize that dream?

Though the reality of the Monaco curse is debatable, he has failed to finish the race on several occasions and to even start in 2021. Winning at this track would undoubtedly mean more to him than any other place.

Is Perez under-performing again?

Sergio Perez had able to show himself in a far better light than he had for the majority of 2023 throughout the initial six races of the season. Perez supported Verstappen with second place in three of Verstappen’s five wins and finished on the podium the majority of the time, despite not being able to defeat his teammate in any of the races when they both completed.

However, Perez displayed concerning early indications of a possible recurrence last weekend in Imola. He finished Saturday’s final practice with his vehicle wrecked, and he qualified for Q3 but finished in 11th place. Despite making progress during the race, he ended up in seventh place, trailing the two Mercedes after a short ride over the gravel at Rivazza.

Since Monaco was the location of one of his six grand prix triumphs back in 2022, it should be the ideal spot for him to make up for last weekend’s mistakes and get back on track. But this was also the point at which his 2023 campaign started to go apart.

Verstappen chasing glory

Max Verstappen held off Lando’s late charge to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Photo/ BusinessLIVE

At Imola last week, Verstappen edged off Norris for pole position by a just seven tenth of a second.

In doing so, he matched two legendary F1 records: Alain Prost’s seven straight poles at the beginning of a season (1993) and Ayrton Senna’s eight consecutive pole positions (1988–1989). This weekend’s addition will bring his total of records to two.

McLaren or Ferrari podium this weekend?

McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates his first podium win this season. Photo/Top Gear

We’re at the Monaco track after a race in Imola that went from boring to nail-biting in the closing laps. As has been the case recently, the results of Saturday’s qualifying session will be crucial in deciding the race’s fate.

Monaco qualifying appears to be going to be exciting since McLaren is improving steadily and may currently have a superior vehicle than Red Bull. Max Verstappen has tied the record for the most straight pole positions; will anyone eventually be able to stop him?

McLaren has made unexpectedly good progress. The entire staff at the Woking facility, both on track and off, has done an amazing job. So much so that McLaren has trimmed more than four tenths of a lap in only the final three races of the season.

Monaco will thus be the ideal venue for a thrilling race involving six drivers operating six vehicles with varying characteristics but generally rather consistent performance. It’ll be an opportunity to assess how fearless Max Verstappen is, how courageous Lando Norris is, and how much danger Charles Leclerc is ready to take in order to win in his home race.

It will be nearly tough to overtake on the circuit in Monaco, as we seen in Imola, where overtaking was virtually nonexistent. Pole position will therefore guarantee half of the triumph.