Monaco Grand Prix: What you need to know ahead of Formula One’s ‘crown duel’

Formula One’s jewel in the crown is upon us.

The Monaco Grand Prix is the race every driver wants to win, and the race every fan has on their bucket list.

After missing the event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula One returns to the streets of the principality for round five of the 2021 season.

The first four races of the season have given fans plenty of excitement, with a tight battle in the drivers’ championship and wheel-to-wheel racing up and down the grid.

With qualifying on Saturday night and the race on Sunday, this is what to watch for this weekend at Monaco.

Ferrari believe they could be a ‘genuine threat’ 

By Ferrari’s standards and expectations, 2020 was an absolute disaster for the Italian team.

This season was always going to be about improvement, and the “Prancing Horses” have certainly done that.

There was belief Ferrari would be good around the Monaco circuit but even the most faithful probably did not think they would top the timesheets.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz led the timesheets at the end on Thursday’s practice sessions.

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The Ferrari pair were the only drivers to produced a lap under 1:12:00, proving there is certainly pace in the car.

Leclerc, a Monaco native, told Formula1.com on Thursday afternoon that even he was surprised by the speed of the car.

“For now, it’s looking good, but a bit too good to believe it, so let’s wait and see,” he said.

“Saturday, we will know exactly where we are in qualifying, and then we will go from there for the race.”

Sainz went one step further, while speaking to media on Friday.

Despite Ferrari not securing a podium finish so far this season, the Spaniard said winning this weekend may not be as far-fetched as first thought. 

““We definitely look very close to being a genuine threat,” he told Formula1.com.

“It’s nice to see at least that we are close to the front, and that we’re actually playing around at the front.

“It’s encouraging for the team and there’s some positive signs that the car in the corners is not that bad.”

Angry Ricciardo off the pace at his favourite track

In contrast to the Ferrari, McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo had a Thursday to forget. 

The Australian was well off the pace during both hour-long practice sessions, just 15th fastest of the 20-car grid. 

He was more than eight-tenths off his teammate, Lando Norris, who was sixth quickest on Thursday. 

“Today wasn’t a great day, we’ve got some work to do,” Ricciardo said following the two practice sessions.  

“I think by Saturday I’ll be all good and we’ll figure it out, but [Thursday] it just felt like a little bit of a stalemate at times.” 

Ricciardo was hindered during many of his flying laps around the circuit, often getting stuck behind other cars on the narrow streets. 

He was overheard on his team radio fuming over what he believed were actions by the Ferrari drivers that interupted his laps.

“I don’t know what the f*** the Ferrari’s doing,” he said after following Leclerc.

The Australian was also seen giving former teammate and Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel a crude gesture, after being blocked going into the final corner. 

Statistically, Monaco is Ricciardo’s best track.

Two of his three career pole positions have been at Monaco, along with his only victory from pole, which was in 2018. 

He has scored 85 points on the street-circuit, more than he has at any other track. 

Saturday’s qualifying is crucial to a win on Sunday

Since 1950, only 10 winners of the Monaco Grand Prix have not qualified in the top three. 

The driver who is on pole has won 12 of the last 19 races at Monaco, including Lewis Hamilton last time out in 2019. 

The tight nature of the street-circuit makes overtaking very difficult, which makes Saturday’s qualifying so crucial.

With a tight drivers’ championships being contested by Hamilton and Max Verstappen, the person who qualifies ahead of the other will have a great advantage on Sunday.

But the pace of the Ferrari could throw a spanner into the works, which would make Sunday’s race very intriguing.

The lowest grid position a driver has won the Monaco Gran Prix from is 14th.

Frenchman Olivier Panis achieved the feat in 1996, when he survived horrendous weather in the rain to win for the Ligier team.