Leclerc Wins In Monaco After First Lap Carnage | 2024 Monaco Grand Prix
Rain or crashes, that’s what we hope for in Monaco, if we’re all being honest. Today the weather was glorious, but thankfully the road to Casino Square saw the most spectacular smash up since Oscar Wilde escorted Bosie through the triple doors.
Perez, Magnussen, and Hulkenberg were the casualties, the former being tapped into a spin and scraping down the armco before collecting Hulkenberg for maximum damage. His car looked like it had befallen an industrial accident, and the technical photographers no doubt had a field day snapping the internal mechanics of the car that were left on show.
They may find the market somewhat drying up, however. Monaco is of course a difficult track to overtake around, but that Verstappen in the remaining vehicle couldn’t pass Russel in closing stages, despite having tyres FIFTY-TWO laps younger, is a sign of two facts colliding. The first is that there is no doubt the circuit is madly unsuitable for modern formula one cars, and the second is that his pace advantage over the rest of the field appears to be slipping.
After a delay of forty minutes, and the further retirement of Estaban Ocon who hit his teammate in unrelated circumstances at Portier, the race was resumed, but this time with a very different prospect. The red flag mean that all drivers could change their tyres, and the race would be restarted from grid order: salvation for Sainz who’d suffered a puncture at turn one was dead last. The reset was contentious, the field having clearly passed through the first sector after which a race order is established, but it made little difference in the end. With fresh rubber all round the drivers tired again, now planning to drive so slowly for the next seventy-seven laps that enough to would remain attached to the rims to reach the finish.
For some, like Russell, Verstappen, and Hamilton, who had stated on the hard tyres, this was bad news, as the mediums were projected to last about thirty laps. Drivers must use two compounds during a race, and by starting on the hards they had been forced to take on this grim prospect. At some point they, and no-one else would have to pit.
Aston Martin knew this, and so instructed Alonso to fall back from his team mate by the twenty seconds needed for him to change tyres and rejoin without losing a position. The Spaniard had done a similar thing in 2022, and that time it seemed purely for fun, so the right man was on hand. The price however was that both Alonso and Stroll were nearly thirty seconds away from the points positions, and then Stroll got a puncture anyway.
Seeing this, Russell decided to stay out and brave it after both Hamilton and Verstappen behind him pitted. Overtaking so difficult in Monaco you can’t afford to give up your position on track by pitting first, as your rival will stay out and you won’t be able to repass. You can’t pit second either, because your rival will have undercut you by setting faster lap times on their newer tyres.
The result is the infamous Monte Carlo stand off- worse than its Mexican equivalent as each player must throw their guns away and just stand there until someone makes a grab. Chaos then ensues, as sporting teams pursuing excellence and other such buzzwords will avoid chaos like a seal avoids a shark private members club.
So Russel stayed out, and so did the front four of Leclerc, Piastri, Sainz, and Norris. Sainz’s mission was to drive slowly enough that there was never a gap large enough for Norris to pit into between hm and Russell, who himself had to drive slowly to preserve his tyres, yet fast enough to build a gap behind that he could pit into should this not be possible.
Everyone knew what everyone else wanted, and worked as carefully as possible to block it. In the end the pit stop wasn’t needed. Leclerc saved enough rubber to but the hammer down for the last ten laps, making sure that when he crossed the line there would be no-one else in shot making it look like he got lucky. Russel held off Verstappen who found the whole weekend infuriating, and Albon and Gasly held on in ninth and tenth to win their first points of the season.
The biggest loser was Perez. Having qualified badly, his race could hardly have gone worse, and he falls to fifth in the drivers’ standings. Its still not known if he’ll continue at Red Bull next year, but if he doesn’t, at this rate he’ll have little to look fondly back on and fewer grounds for objection.
“It’s a position we put ourselves in,” he said, and while this may be true, there’s only so many times you can do so before the floor collapses, or the walls close in, or a minor trap finally finishes you off. Also suffering was Stroll, who after finally out qualifying his team mate ruined his race strategy with a puncture. Still, he did finish as top overtake after passing both Zhou and Sargeant on the same lap.
The main story of course, was Leclerc, who after many false dawns finally tasted the light. “With 15 laps to go you hope that nothing happens”, he said after the race, the relief when nothing did was palpable. Piastri proved powerless to do anything, but confessed it would have taken “the lap of his life” to outqualify Leclerc and he “didn’t have a car small enough to try anything.”
The city, whose keys and command over civic policy will be presented to Leclerc in a ceremony on Monday, couldn’t be happier as the investiture of its hero, a moment much delayed and some feared rapidly escaping. I sport you have to win when you get the chance, before someone else arrives and it turns to vapour. That Leclerc has done so, and on the last occasion before Hamilton is there to challenge him, will be something he’ll prize forever. “Tonight will be a big night, I hope Jimmyz is ready.” Unfortunately for them, these no way they possibly could be. Hominem Te Esse Memento.
