Monaco Grand Prix: The Editor’s Tops/Flops

The TOPS

Charles Leclerc, prophet in his own country

Finally! Charles Leclerc became the first Monegasque driver to win his national Grand Prix in F1. Quickest in Friday and Saturday morning practices, secured pole on Saturday afternoon, and claimed victory on Sunday. The Ferrari driver’s weekend was simply outstanding. Only the fastest lap point was missing to make it perfect for Leclerc. In his sixth Monaco Grand Prix in Formula 1, the 26-year-old driver mastered everything to cross the finish line first. Whether it was the two starts, the pressure from his rivals starting with Oscar Piastri, or his emotions as the checkered flag approached, nothing could stop Leclerc from making this Sunday, May 26, 2024, a very special day in his life.

Oscar Piastri, victory is coming soon

Second on the grid and second at the finish, the Australian managed to maintain his place on the podium despite an uncomfortable position between the two Ferraris throughout the race. Unlucky in Miami when he had the potential to climb onto the podium and then fourth in Imola, Piastri is asserting himself more and more as a potential Grand Prix winner. He is also the only driver from the top four teams who has not yet won a race, excluding sprint races. His very strong performance in Monaco leads us to believe that this anomaly will be quickly corrected.

Carlos Sainz, model teammate

He too finished his race in the same position from which he started. Throughout the Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz had to balance between keeping Lando Norris at bay to prevent him from becoming a threat to his teammate, and attacking Oscar Piastri to hope for a Ferrari one-two in the Principality. He ultimately secured a double podium for the Scuderia and allowed his team to collect a large number of points in the Constructors’ Championship race against Red Bull. It’s worth noting that Sainz is the only driver on the grid to have finished all the Grand Prix races he has participated in this season in the top five.

The FLOPS

Sergio Pérez’s black weekend

Only eighteenth in qualifying, Sergio Pérez knew that his hopes of scoring points in Monaco were very slim. Already involved in an accident in Q1 in 2023 in the streets of the Principality, the Mexican driver has thus experienced two bitter failures in the exercise of the fast lap on the Côte d’Azur. Even if the Red Bull was not very comfortable this weekend, as evidenced by Max Verstappen’s final 6th place, it is still much better than finishing beyond the top fifteen. We will never know at which position Pérez would have finished anyway. His race ended before the Casino under a rain of debris after his collision with the two Haas cars. The Guadalajara native now has a few days to regroup before the next Grand Prix in Canada.

Esteban Ocon way too optimistic

Seeing the two Alpines battling in the race is now a scene that F1 fans unfortunately are starting to be familiar with. After Melbourne 2023 and Budapest 2023, here is Monaco 2024. This time, the responsibility is not shared. In an overtaking maneuver at the Portier, Esteban Ocon wanted to surprise his teammate but misjudged his attempt. The result: retirement for the younger of the two Normans and a big crisis to manage internally for Bruno Famin. The boss of the French team did not mince his words when talking about the consequences to be drawn and wanting to make a quick decision. At a time when the transfer market is starting to stir, Ocon did not do himself any favors and will have to react quickly to redeem himself.

We have lost the Aston Martins.

One year ago, Fernando Alonso finished second in the Monaco Grand Prix. This year, no Aston Martin managed to score points in the Principality. Already downgraded to the fifth force on the grid for several races, Lawrence Stroll’s team hit rock bottom this weekend, fighting at the back of the pack. Whether in qualifying or in the race, neither Alonso nor Stroll managed to raise their game at the wheel of a car very uncomfortable on the narrow streets of Monaco. It is precisely these streets that the Spaniard owes his 11th place on the grid because Daniel Ricciardo, despite being stuck in the exhaust of the green car for many laps, failed to find an opening. As for the Canadian, a slight touch at the chicane towards the end of the race made him lose all hopes of scoring points.