Formula 1: What to watch for in the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix
By Kevin Nguyen
Following difficult times in Spain, most Formula 1 teams will look to regroup in Monaco. Here are the storylines for the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix you should follow.
The lead up to Formula 1‘s crown jewel race, the Monaco Grand Prix, has been quiet during the week of the sport’s biggest race. However, there are questions across the paddock to be answered from the top teams to the midfield runners.
While drivers will answer those questions during a 78-lap Sunday drive along the French Riviera, here are the teams, drivers and questions that you should look out for during the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix.
Ferrari
Ferrari have struggled in the last two Grands Prix, with lead driver Sebastian Vettel finishing in fourth in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix to see his nine-point lead in the driver standings over Lewis Hamilton after China turn into a 17-point deficit heading into the Monaco Grand Prix.
In the constructor standings, Ferrari saw their four-point lead after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix turn into a 27-point deficit after the Spanish Grand Prix. With the FIA banning Ferrari’s Halo hanging mirrors and aero for the Monaco Grand Prix, things are not well at the Scuderia. Is the Monaco Grand Prix the answer to their woes?
Drivers’ status
Haas’ Romain Grosjean is coming off the toughest stretch of his F1 career. The Frenchman crashed under the safety car during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after which Haas team principal Guenther Steiner criticized him, saying that the error was an error that not even a rookie would make.
In the Spanish Grand Prix, Grosjean spun in turn two and then proceeded to accelerate back onto the racing line with a large cloud of tire smoke. He took out Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly. Following the crash, Grosjean was assessed two penalty points on his license and will serve a three-place grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix. If the Frenchman fails to keep up this weekend, is it time for Haas to look elsewhere?
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Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley is not performing to expectations in the Red Bull junior team, as he missed out on qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix and he had to seek steward approval to race. Despite that, his race results in those two races weren’t terrible (10th and 12th place, respectively) but rumors have surfaced that the Monaco Grand Prix may be the two-time World Endurance Championship champion’s last in F1.
It has been reported that Honda, Toro Rosso’s Japanese engine supplier, are potentially keen on bringing in a Japanese driver for Hartley’s seat. There have also been rumors that former Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein or Formula E driver Felix Rosenqvist could take the New Zealander’s seat. Will the Monaco Grand Prix be Hartley’s last race in Formula 1? Is there anything that he can do if the writing is on the wall?
Tire Compounds
For the first time this season, Pirelli have allotted their three softest tire compounds for Monaco: supersoft, ultrasoft, and making its F1 debut, the hypersoft compound. Pirelli say that with the Circuit de Monaco having been resurfaced in key areas, the addition of the hypersoft tyre will not affect the outcome of the race, which they say will still be a one-stop race.
Given how the ultrasoft tires performed in the Spanish Grand Prix and the fact that there was only one driver brave enough to start the race on the ultrasoft tires, Fernando Alonso, will more teams follow that strategy on the basis that there is enough data to suggest a long run on ultrasoft tires will pay off, or will teams gamble and believe Pirelli when they say that he hypersoft tires can be used as race tires?
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The 2018 Monaco Grand Prix will undoubtedly be a race of many questions. Will Ferrari fight back? Will drivers in the hot seat prove their mettle? How will teams deal with a new tire compound? The race itself has the well-established history of answering the unanswerable. We’ll find out on Sunday, May 27.