There’s really nothing at all the same about today’s race and Monaco’s joyless ‘follow the leader fest’ other than the tire choices (Ultra Soft, Super Soft, and Soft) and the fact that it’s a street track where the cars leave marks on the walls because there are no run off areas.
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve takes up basically all of the Île Notre-Dame which in off season is the Parc Jean-Drapea and, because it is not hemmed by commercial development, actually is kind of a race track with straights you can really call straight and opportunities to pass.
While very fast it’s incredibly easy on tires and it would be entirely possible to run a one stop solely on the Ultra Softs (the softest available) if regulations permitted it. In Practice and Qualifying Scuderia Marlboro has shown speed even on the Softs and a frequent complaint of Mercedes drivers is that the team has yet to show that they can be competitive on the harder compounds.
Speaking of driver complaints, Fernando Alonso is tired of driving bricks and is looking for a ride that can win him another championship. Good luck with that. He could probably snag a seat with Renault, maybe Red Bull, but Ferrari is finished with him and Vettel doesn’t like rivals. Mercedes seems happy enough with Bottas, so where’s he going to go? Of course after Memorial Day that could be Indy Car but I’m not sure he’d be happy driving Mad Max all the time. Yesterday in Texas they finished under Yellow and lost 2 thirds of the field again.
Owners are also not happy. Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull dump over $200 Million a year into their programs, everyone else is less than half of that. I, of course, think the solution is to allow more on track testing (cheaper and more comprehensive than wind tunnels and simulations) and introducing more variables into the equation like in race fueling. I also think you might save some money relaxing the engine durability rules which are ridiculously restrictive.
Hamilton on Pole which he really needs if he’s going to stay in the hunt with Vettel (some controversy over whether team orders have been stifling Raikkonen). It ties him with Senna 3 behind Schumacher but basically it’s Mercedes, Ferrari, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and everyone else.
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Vent Hole
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Oops, already racing, Sainz collects Massa after being hit.
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Looks like it was Grosjean who initiated
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Safety Car of course. Lap 2 of 70
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Racing again. Vettel has wing damage, Verstappen passes.
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Vettel pits for a new wing
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Lap 5 of 70
Hamilton
Verstappen
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Raikkonen
Ocon
Hulkenberg
Kvyat
Alonso
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Vettel at the rear
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Lap 10 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Raikkonen
Ocon
Hulkenberg
Kvyat
Alonso
Vandoorne
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And Vertstappen stops.
So Mercedes 1 & 2
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Hulkenberg, Palmer, and Ericsson pit
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Virtual Safety for Verstappen
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Lap 15 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Raikkonen
Ocon
Alonso
Magnussen
Stroll
Hulkenberg
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Perez pits
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Lap 20 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ocon
Ricciardo
Alonso
Perez
Raikkonen
Magnussen
Vettel
Stroll
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Lap 25 of 70
Hamilton
Ocon
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Raikkonen
Alonso
Vettel
Magtnussen
Hulkenberg
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Bottas has pitted, that’s why he’s behind Ocon. Hamilton has more than the pit delta, but seems to be content to lead.
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Lap 30 of 70
Hamilton
Ocon
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Raikkonen
Vettel
Alonso
Hulkenberg
Kvyat
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Hamilton pits
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Ocon pits
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Lap 35 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Raikkonen
Ocon
Vettel
Alonso
Hulkenberg
Kvyat
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Lap 40 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Raikkonen
Ocon
Vettel
Alonso
Hulkenberg
Kvyat
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Rakkonen pits
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Wehlein pits
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Alonso pits
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Lap 45 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Ocon
Vettel
Raikkonen
Hulkenberg
Kvyat
Magnussen
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Magnussen pits
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Vettel pits
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Lap 51 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Ocon
Raikkonen
Vettel
Hulkenberg
Kvyat
Stroll
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Kvyat pits
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Lap 55 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Ocon
Raikkonen
Vettel
Hulkenberg
Stroll
Alonso
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Kvyat parked
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Lap 61 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Ocon
Vettel
Raikkonen
Hulkenberg
Stroll
Alonso
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Lap 65 of 70
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Perez
Vettel
Ocon
Raikkonen
Raikkonen
Hulkenberg
Stroll
Alonso
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Alonso stops
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Final
Hamilton
Bottas
Ricciardo
Vettel
Perez
Ocon
Raikkonen
Hulkenberg
Stroll
Grosjean