It’s that time again when we unveil our F1 report cards, bringing you the lowdown on who soared to success and who hit a rough patch.
While the first half of the race may not have set our pulses racing, a twist of fate in the form of rain transformed the mundane into the extraordinary. It just goes to show that even the most seemingly uneventful races can spring surprises when Mother Nature decides to play her hand.
So, grab a cuppa, settle in, and join us as we delve into this week’s report cards. Get ready to discover who emerged as the stars and who faced the challenges at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Top of the Class:
Esteban Ocon – Qualifying: 4th (Started 3rd) | Race: 3rd
Alpine played it a bit safe during qualifying on Saturday. Esteban had the speed to snatch a front-row start, but they decided to err on the side of caution. Smart move, especially since Leclerc’s grid penalty bumped Ocon up to the third slot.
But when it came to the race, Ocon was on fire. He held his ground against Carlos Sainz and even the mighty Lewis Hamilton. Then the rain started pouring, adding an extra layer of chaos to the mix. But Ocon kept his cool.
High-pressure situations seem to bring out the best in Ocon, think back to Hungary ’21 and Suzuka ’22 for example, and this race was no exception.
Fernando Alonso – Qualifying: 2nd | Race: 2nd
Fernando Alonso delivered his best performance since Hungary 2014.
Our Spanish maestro narrowly missed out on pole position on Saturday. He was so close, yet so far. On Sunday, it looked like he could actually challenge Max Verstappen for the top step. I mean, come on, Verstappen has been untouchable this season, so props to Alonso for giving him a run for his money. What was the nail in his coffin was Aston Martin’s questionable decision to send him out on slicks on a wet track. Talk about a slippery situation! Alonso had to pit again to switch to inters. But despite all that, he still managed to clinch second place. Now, that’s what I call resilience.
Honourable mentions:
The first honourable mention of the day goes to our current WDC Max Verstappen, who really drove excellently yet again. Nothing more or less needs to be said about that.
The second honourable mention goes to the rain which graced us with its presence in the second half of the race, as without it, it really would’ve been quite a bore. Whilst it is a great track, the cars remain too big for the narrow streets of Monaco, which gets in the way of much of the excitement. We can only hope that the rain will be making an appearance more often in the upcoming years, or perhaps that regulations deem it necessary to downsize the cars a tad.
Struggle Bus:
Lance Stroll – Qualifying: 14th | Race: DNF
Taking the wheel of the struggle bus in Monaco was none other than Lance Stroll. While his teammate basked in the glory of yet another podium finish, Stroll seemed to be caught in a game of bumper cars. As if that wasn’t enough, brake issues plagued him when the rain made its entrance, turning his car into a pinball machine bouncing off the barriers at the hairpin and Portier corner. It was a rough day behind the wheel, to say the least. Ultimately, he had to retire the car, marking the third time this season that he failed to score any points.
While Stroll has mostly impressed me with his performances this season, this outing was one that he’d likely want to erase from memory. Chin up Lance, you get another shot at it next week!
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Qualifying: 3rd (Starting 6th) | Race: 6th
Carlos Sainz – Qualifying: 5th (starting 4th) | Race: 8th
The prancing horses rolled into Monaco with high hopes of contending for victory, but they were in for a reality check. Saturday didn’t go as planned for either driver, making it abundantly clear that the dreaded “Monaco Lecurse” is still haunting poor Charles Leclerc.
Then came Sunday, and it felt like déjà vu all over again. Seriously, are we even surprised when Ferrari makes another strategy blunder? It’s become a recurring theme, and the drivers must be getting fed up with it. The team’s decision-making has become a topic of debate, and this race was no exception, considering they got the switchover to inters so incredibly wrong.
I must admit, the overcut Carlos Sainz seemed to have in mind for Esteban Ocon wouldn’t have been the magic solution either. It’s hard to say whether it would have worked out, especially given Leclerc’s lackluster performance on the hard tires.
Dishonourable mentions:
The first dishonourable mention goes to Sergio Perez, who had a disastrous start to the weekend by crashing out in Q1. Monaco is probably the worst possible place for such an incident, as it severely hampered his chances of making a comeback and scoring points on Sunday.
The second dishonourable mention goes to Yuki Tsunoda, who showed great promise throughout the weekend until the rain arrived and brought along some braking troubles.
As the chequered flag falls on the Monaco Grand Prix, the Formula 1 circus packs up and prepares for the next thrilling chapter in the season. Up next on the calendar is the Spanish Grand Prix, set to take place at 2pm UK time.
