This F1 review Monaco 2019 is brought to you by our resident F1 fundi, Nick van der Meulen.

Niki Lauda’s passing was the headline this week and the mourning related thereto set the stage for the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) both wore Lauda tribute helmets, while Mercedes and Toro Rosso both had tributes adorned on their racing machines.

Our tribute to the triple world champion is at this link.

Inspired performance

Lewis Hamilton was further inspired this weekend and was determined to get the results required to ensure Lauda got a fitting tribute from him and his team. He did not disappoint, shattering the qualifying lap record and followed that with a supreme race, leading from start to finish.

Hamilton did not have it all his own way, though. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) hounded him for much of the race, trying to force the Englishman into a mistake he wouldn’t make. Hamilton struggled to get to the finish on medium compound rubber, while his rivals were on the harder option. It was a mistake Mercedes took responsibility for, while acknowledging Hamilton’s racing prowess to take victory nonetheless.

Left floundering

Hamilton’s team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, however, had a frustrating weekend despite his superb performances in free practice and qualifying. His race was marred with the deployment of the Safety Car after Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari clipped the wall, resulting in debris on track.

The drivers dove into the pits for their first (and mostly only) pit stop. Red Bull Racing released Verstappen too early while Bottas was trundling down pit lane and the two drivers made contact, resulting in a puncture for the Finn and a 5-second penalty for the Dutchman.

Verstappen spent the rest of the race driving his heart out in the hope to salvage a podium. It was not to be, however: Vettel and Bottas chased him to the chequered flag and he had to be content with fourth place after his penalty was added to his total race time.

A strong showing

Pierre Gasly, in the other RBR car, performed strongly throughout the weekend but was still not in contact with the top four on race day. As a result, the team pulled him into the pits for a late tyre change such that he could salvage a bonus point for fastest lap of the race, over and above his fifth-place finish.

A weekend to forget

Charles Leclerc’s weekend was compromised in qualifying, when Ferrari team management continued making poor judgement calls and kept him in pit lane when he should have continued posting fast times.
The resultant gaffe was major, as Leclerc was forced to start 16th (15th following Giovinazzi’s penalty for blocking Hulkenberg), leaving the Monegasque much work to do in the race.

He started well, made short work of Romain Grosjean under braking into Rascasse, but he clipped the wall at the same corner a lap later while gunning for Hulkenberg, the resultant damage of rubber on bodywork and chassis leading to the only retirement of the race. Sebastian Vettel did well to stay in the lead group and hold off Bottas to the chequered flag and was rewarded with second place, his best result of the season.

Mac is back… sort of

There were other strong performances in the race which beggar recognition. Carlos Sainz (McLaren) used a late pit stop strategy to catapult into sixth place, the two Toro Rossos of Kvyat and Albon finished a fine seventh and eighth, respectively, while Ricciardo (Renault) and Grosjean rounded off the points-scoring finishers.

Personal viewing

The 2019 Monaco Grand Prix marked Kimi Raikkonen’s 300th GP start – celebrated at Alfa Romeo Racing headquarters by opening their doors to fans at Hinwil, Switzerland – which is where I spent my afternoon. Sadly, any hopes of celebration ended in a whimper with both machines hopelessly off the pace, despite the promise shown in the free practice sessions.

While there wasn’t much overtaking at the sharp end of the field, the pressure on each of the drivers was immense. There was no margin for error and credit must be given to each of the top four finishers for their efforts.

The fact that Hamilton held off a train snapping at his heels to the chequered flag for half the race with an ill-handling car may reach legendary status… much like how Gilles Villeneuve held off six others at Jarama in 1981.

Click here to view a video highlights reel of F1 Review Monaco 2019.