Formula 1: Monaco Grand Prix Review – 10 Key Takeaways
The Monaco Grand Prix may not have been the most thrilling race in recent memory, but it still provided plenty of drama and action both on and off the track. Charles Leclerc finally broke his Monaco curse, while his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz benefited from a lucky grid recount. Meanwhile, McLaren’s special Senna-inspired livery couldn’t quite grant them the luck they needed to overhaul Ferrari.
1. Leclerc’s Monaco Curse is Broken
Charles Leclerc celebrates his maiden Monaco GP win on the podium. Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Leclerc’s third pole position in Monaco finally yielded a win, and he was adamant that he never believed in the curse at his home event. Luck was on his side this time, as a start on medium tyres allowed him to grab the hard compound amid a red-flag delay, and he successfully navigated McLaren’s attempts to build a gap to pit in.
2. Senna Livery Can’t Bring McLaren Luck
McLaren ran a special Senna-inspired livery, but it wasn’t enough to overhaul Ferrari. Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
McLaren’s special livery looked cool, but it didn’t quite invoke Senna’s Monaco pace. Oscar Piastri hooked up his best sectors in qualifying, but it wasn’t enough to beat Leclerc to pole. The team attempted to make its own luck by pushing Leclerc in an effort to open up a pit window, but Ferrari cottoned onto that pretty swiftly.
3. Sainz Wins Grid Recount Thanks to Zhou
Sainz was lucky to be reinstated to third for the restart, thanks to Zhou Guanyu not yet reaching the first split before the red flag was called. Norris was frustrated by the decision, calling it “unfair” and saying that Sainz got to “undo that mistake and gets a free pitstop.”
4. Red Bull’s Low-Speed Weakness Returns
Verstappen could manage only sixth after a weekend of struggles for Red Bull. Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull’s RB20 struggled in the opening sector of the Monaco lap, where the car seemed to put up with the bumpy run to Massenet. Verstappen had good pace in the final sector, but it wasn’t enough to challenge the top four.
5. Peeling Advertisements Cause Sticky Situation
Norris passing by torn advertising stickers, which became a problem across Friday and Saturday. Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
The trackside banners became a distraction for the cars’ aerodynamics, with Perez saying they partly contributed to his underperformance in qualifying. Norris also had issues with the stickers, which got stuck underneath his McLaren.
6. Williams Gets First Points of 2024
Albon spent his entire race tucked up behind Tsunoda, but still broke Williams’ 2024 duck. Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Alex Albon tried to double his tally from the Monaco Grand Prix and put Yuki Tsunoda under heavy pressure for most of the race’s run-time. Although he couldn’t pass Tsunoda, ninth place was a good reward for Williams, capitalizing on an excellent qualifying performance from Albon.
7. Alpine’s Fury Has Peaked with Warring Drivers
Ocon’s optimistic lunge on team-mate Gasly led to fallout in the Alpine camp. Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Esteban Ocon’s futile effort to move past Gasly in Monaco caused damage to his car that could not be repaired in the 40-minute red-flag hiatus. Alpine principal Bruno Famin was incensed, warning that Ocon’s inglorious assault would come with consequences.
8. Expanding Anti-Dilution Fund Plan Accompanies Andretti Courtroom Progress
Comments from Mario Andretti over the weekend have only added to the fire of F1/Andretti’s long-running saga. Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
Andretti might have failed to secure a Formula 1 entry for 2025/26, but the American team’s promise that its “work continues at a pace” continues to ring true. It has recruited ex-Renault technical chief Pat Symonds as a consultant and is lobbying the US Congress to consider the team’s rejection as a breach of anti-competition laws.
9. New Cost Cap Changes May Cause “Christmas Party or Front Wing?” Dilemma
Horner has insisted employees must not bear the brunt of any future changes. Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Further changes to F1’s financial structure look set to culminate in modifications to the cost cap regulations. F1 is in discussion with the teams about lifting the cap to $220m, but this cap would include additional details, such as consolidating capital expenditure guidelines to within the new cap, along with other current exemptions.
10. More to Come from Monaco Grand Prix Weekend
Stay tuned for more Formula 1 news and updates from the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.
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