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Formula 1 chaos in Monte Carlo: Leclerc can't get rid of the Monaco curse

2022-05-29T18:13:49.354Z


Charles Leclerc has crossed the finish line in his home race for the first time in his Formula 1 career - and is more disappointed than ever. Ferrari gambled away the lead due to strategy errors and hectic pace.


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Victory awarded: Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari pits

Photo:

CHRISTIAN BRUNA/POOL/EPO

"What the hell are we doing?":

In Monaco, all eyes were on Charles Leclerc.

The Monagasse had never reached the finish line in his home country in the previous five attempts in Formula 1 and Formula 2 - in 2021 he did not even make it onto the starting grid as a pole setter due to damage.

On Saturday in qualifying, however, the Ferrari driver was in a league of his own, this time it should work out.

Leclerc did finish this time, but far below his expectations.

This was mainly due to a strategic mishap on the part of his team.

There was frantic shouting on the radio, Leclerc lost the chance for the podium.

The result:

The champagne bash later took place without the Monegasque, instead Sergio Pérez in the Red Bull surprisingly won the race, which was interrupted several times, ahead of Leclerc teammate Carlos Sainz and World Championship leader Max Verstappen in the second Red Bull. Read the race report here.

Camping in Monte Carlo:

After qualifying, some teams, including Red Bull and Mercedes, had hoped for the announced rain.

On the only 3.337 kilometer short circuit in the Principality, overtaking is difficult on a dry track, but those who had been beaten in qualifying had calculated quite a bit on the wet track.

The wish was granted, but it was raining so heavily that the race organizers postponed the start for safety reasons.

The drivers had previously driven two formation laps around the track behind the safety car.

"I've never gotten so wet in a Formula 1 car," Haas driver Mick Schumacher radioed to his crew.

Finally, the pilots got out again and the teams set up tents in the pit lane.

The start:

At 4:05 p.m., behind the safety car, we were back on the track.

Leclerc led the field on the flying start, ahead of his teammate Sainz, followed by the two Red Bulls of Pérez and Verstappen.

The pilots approached it cautiously, there were no position changes at the front.

At the back of the field, Lance Stroll drove into the guard rail in the Aston Martin, but was able to continue the race.

Come in, no, not:

Leclerc initially extended the lead.

As the track began to dry, Pérez was the first in the lead group to start the tire change round (16).

He came out fifth.

Two laps later, Leclerc and Verstappen also stopped and, like Pérez, grabbed intermediates, but the Mexican was too quick and got past them both.

Meanwhile, Sainz was leading the field, he wanted to switch straight to slick tires.

On lap 21, the Scuderia brought him in, with Leclerc right behind.

He could be heard over the radio as he was first called in, then a frantic radio message "Stay outside," but it was too late.

Pérez and Verstappen came to a stop a lap later and rejoined the track in front of Sainz and Leclerc respectively.

Leclerc fell from first to fourth within a few laps.

The rear of Schumacher's car breaks:

The leading group was separated by just four seconds (25).

Just one lap later, however, the race was interrupted again.

Mick Schumacher lost control of his Haas in the swimming pool chicane and hit the barriers hard.

The stern was completely broken off.

"I'm okay," he radioed, "I don't know what happened there."

He was able to get out of the car on his own.

Because the barriers at the impact site had to be repaired, the pilots had to park their cars again.

Technical glitch at Sky:

As if there wasn't enough chaos, TV broadcaster Sky also had problems to contend with.

During the second race interruption, there was a power failure in the announcer's cabin.

At first, commentator Sascha Roos could not be heard anymore, expert Ralf Schumacher bridged the situation.

However, the former Formula 1 driver admitted that he could no longer fully follow what was happening on the track due to the technical problems.

Then Roos took over the working microphone from Schumacher and tried to switch to the second expert Leo Lackner.

But he could not understand this immediately.

'Don't know if anyone's heard anything,' said Roos.

"We haven't experienced that either," he confessed.

It starts again:

At 5.19 p.m. the race resumed behind the safety car, led by Pérez in front of Sainz, Verstappen and Leclerc.

They were followed by George Russell, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

The Red Bull were on hard tyres, Ferrari on medium.

There were initially no shifts in position.

But in the final laps, the top four drove close together, almost touching each other in the corners.

Russell couldn't keep up the pace and fell back to around eight seconds.

Pérez withstood the pressure.

As the cars crossed the finish line, the sun came out again.

But still full points:

The planned race distance of 78 laps could not be completed in Monaco due to the interruptions, after 64 laps it was over.

The time limit was reached three hours after the originally planned start, but the minimum of 58 laps was also reached, so that all pilots received full championship points.

Verstappen was able to increase his lead over Leclerc by three to nine points.

Pérez is now approaching Leclerc with 110 points.

Love hurts: »

It's hard, it was like that the years before.

I'm getting used to the fact that it's disappointing for me at the home Grand Prix," Leclerc said after the race, but also demanded: "At a point in time when we have the pace, we have to take the opportunity and not get the points Leave it lying around.« The message that was given to him via radio was not clear, afterwards he »just screamed«, said the Monegasse.

»I love my team and I am sure that we will come back.

It hurts, though.”

What's next:

Directly with the next street circuit, the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan.

Whether there will be another race in Monte Carlo is still open.

The contract between Formula 1 and the organizer expires.

In 1950, the first year of the Formula 1 World Championship, people were already driving on the narrow circuit.

After a break, it continued every year from 1955, with the exception of the Corona year 2020.

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2022-05-29

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