IT is incredible to think that Max Verstappen is leading the World Championship after winning Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix. Also that Red Bull is now ahead of Mercedes-Benz. Despite starting the season with a very quick car it looked like Red Bull had handed the advantage back to Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton winning three of the first four races.
What Sunday showed, however, is that consistency is so important in this business. Max’s second victory of the season comes on top of three 2nd placed finishes. He is on form at every race, and that’s what you need to do if you want to win the World Championship.
It is amazing to realise that Max has never led a car racing championship in his career. Between karting and Formula 1 he only did one season of car racing, in Formula 3, so I am not surprised he is enjoying the experience of being on top after Monaco. What a special place to achieve this result.
NEW. CHAMPIONSHIP. LEADER.@Max33Verstappen leads the drivers’ championship for the first time in his career
And it’s a return to the top for @redbullracing too!#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/IWWpI5hXyI
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 23, 2021
In 1998, the year in which I won my first World Championship, I took pole position, fastest lap and the win in Monaco. It’s a pretty special memory. Monaco is such a narrow track that it is very difficult to overtake, as we saw again this year, but it is a very different type of challenge. Instead of racing the competition, you are racing the circuit. You have to be so precise, keeping your focus, never losing your concentration. As a result it is a very satisfying place to win.
This was a tough weekend for Mercedes. A very tough experience for the team, with Lewis Hamilton’s car uncompetitive all weekend, but even worse for Valtteri Bottas. He did such a great job in qualifying, 0.4s quicker than Lewis and only 0.025s behind Max while driving a car that really does not suit the Monaco track.
The Mercedes car has a much longer wheelbase than the Red Bull or Ferrari, and its aerodynamics don’t suit the low-speed nature of a track like this either.
What happened to Valtteri in the pit stop was almost unbelievable. To have a wheel stuck on the car, and the mechanics unable to drill the wheel nut off is something so unusual.
I have experienced lots of disappointments in Formula One, including my car breaking down while leading on the final lap of the race, so I know how Valtteri must be feeling. You really cannot believe that something like this has stopped you from scoring a good result. Almost certainly Valtteri would have finished 2nd.
You have to feel for Valtteri #MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VaHomPT2pr
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 23, 2021
It’s a result which has damaged Valtteri’s World Championship, and also hurt Mercedes who are now one point behind Red Bull Racing in the World Championship for Constructors.
It was great to see Ferrari competitive again. The Monaco circuit suits their car, which is strong in low speed corners and seems to get its tyres up to temperature very quickly.
Charles Leclerc’s pole position was really a fantastic lap but, as I said before, keeping your focus on every cap in Monaco is essential. One small mistake and you can be into the wall, which is what happened to him at the end of qualifying. Ferrari has not announced the exact cause of the problem which meant Charles could not start the race on Sunday, but I am quite sure the accident caused an issue which the team was not able to spot.
We used to have ‘warm up’ practice sessions on Sunday morning in Formula One, and they were really useful for getting to check the car’s systems, particularly if you had suffered some damage or an engine change after qualifying. It’s such a pity that the fans in Monaco and watching on TV were unable to see Charles take his place at the front of the grid.
It was a brilliant result for Carlos Sainz Jr to finish 2nd, however, and while I do not expect Ferrari to be competitive on the long, fast circuits, at least they have made good progress. I am sure this result will give them a really significant boost.
Lando Norris podium finish for McLaren was exceptional. A really strong drive from a guy who, like Max, is enjoying a very competitive, consistent season. Monaco was not only a great result for him, however. It was very good for Formula One, with a Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren on the podium. Mercedes Benz now has to respond.
