Official 2021 Monaco Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

[Piginapoke]

After missing out last year, we're off to Monaco. All about the qualifying of course, so Saturday should be fantastic as Max and Lewis are so closely matched. My money's on Max for pole and the win.

Ricciardo always goes well here, and McLaren has a fancy new paint job, but I think Norris will be well ahead.



Date(s): Thursday 20 May- Sunday 23 May 2021

UK Broadcast Timings (and local time)

All sessions are live on Sky F1; only highlights are shown on Channel 4:





Live timing for all sessions available here:

https://www.formula1.com/en/f1-live.html

Lap times, PU component use, technical reports and Stewards' decisions for the weekend will appear here:

https://www.fia.com/documents/season/season-2021-1...

Weather forecast:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2993458

Tyre Choices:



2020 Race Result:

N/A

2020 race highlights:

N/A

Edited by Piginapoke on Thursday 20th May 06:47

[mk1coopers]

I think all the pressure is going to be on Max this weekend and we may see a visit to the barriers for him, MazeSpin will be a danger to himself and others, I wouldn't want to be behind him in the first qualifying session (if he gets to the point of still having the car together for this)

[suffolk009]

Love that McLaren livery.

Which big name drivers will stick it in the armco?

[Sandpit Steve]

Surprised this one is going ahead, but good to see it back on the calendar after a year off.

Saturday at Monaco is definitely one of the highlights of the season, watching the cars thread themselves around an impossibly tight circuit is definitely something to watch. Someone will undoubtedly mess up and find one of the many barriers.

Brundle’s interview about qualifying last week, brought out the comment from the veteran that sector three looked like it was a speeded up movie, the speed they now carry through Tabac and around the swimming pool is astonishing.

I remember that late, great Murray Walker say 30 years ago, that if there wasn’t already a race at Monaco, there’s no way they’d be allowed to have one ‘now’. That is certainly still true!

[thegreenhell]

Sandpit Steve said:

Surprised this one is going ahead, but good to see it back on the calendar after a year off.

In the last couple of weeks they've hosted the GP Historique and Formula E, so they should be pretty slick for the F1. It was interesting to note that the FE were running almost identical laptimes on the full circuit to the 1970's F1 the previous week, so probably 20+ seconds slower than we can expect from F1 this week.

[andburg]

Monaco is a confidence track.

P1 Prediction
Perez / Ricciardo / Alonso / Vettel / Tsunoda to struggle
Mazepin will not not crash or spin but will be plumb last, over half a second behind everyone else

My weekend prediction, with so many drivers struggling, Russell to make Q3 and score points

[Sandpit Steve]

thegreenhell said:

Sandpit Steve said:

Surprised this one is going ahead, but good to see it back on the calendar after a year off.

In the last couple of weeks they've hosted the GP Historique and Formula E, so they should be pretty slick for the F1. It was interesting to note that the FE were running almost identical laptimes on the full circuit to the 1970's F1 the previous week, so probably 20+ seconds slower than we can expect from F1 this week.

I did catch some of the historics, very cool to watch the old cars and drivers running around - some of whom were very much going for it! Have they changed the chicane after the tunnel, or will they change it back to the normal layout for this weekend?

[TheDeuce]

mk1coopers said:

I think all the pressure is going to be on Max this weekend and we may see a visit to the barriers for him, MazeSpin will be a danger to himself and others, I wouldn't want to be behind him in the first qualifying session (if he gets to the point of still having the car together for this)

Was gonna post the same thing pretty much - max in the barriers handing Lewis pole...

Mazepin will provide comedy throughout.

[Sandpit Steve]

TheDeuce said:

Was gonna post the same thing pretty much - max in the barriers handing Lewis pole...

Mazepin will provide comedy throughout.

Max does have a history of pushing too hard here, it really wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bin it at some point over the weekend. His advisors need to keep him calm and not let things get to his head. One DNF needs three or four wins to catch up, if Lewis remains consistent at finishing as high up as possible.

[TheDeuce]

Sandpit Steve said:

TheDeuce said:

Was gonna post the same thing pretty much - max in the barriers handing Lewis pole...

Mazepin will provide comedy throughout.

Max does have a history of pushing too hard here, it really wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bin it at some point over the weekend. His advisors need to keep him calm and not let things get to his head. One DNF needs three or four wins to catch up, if Lewis remains consistent at finishing as high up as possible.

However it manifests itself, Merc and Lewis reliability was always going to put them ahead of RB soon enough imo.

On a more positive note, if max can keep his head and take P1 he'll almost certainly win the race and pull the points level again - which I'm kind of hoping for as it'd be nice to prolong the championship battle. Even though I'd be amazed if both titles don't ultimately go to Merc again

[Oldwolf]

I don't think Max will bin it as I think he's got a different approach this year trying more for the longer game.

Of course I look forward to being quoted as wrong on Saturday after quali

[TheDeuce]

Oldwolf said:

I don't think Max will bin it as I think he's got a different approach this year trying more for the longer game.

Of course I look forward to being quoted as wrong on Saturday after quali

Playing it safe at Monaco guarantees he won't get pole though... And won't win the race.

Tricky, it is the indeed a big risk to push to 100%, but if he doesn't Lewis will likely leave with a fairly significant points lead.

[MontyPythonX]

I reckon Bottas will be pushing in qualifying to try and make a point and end up in the barriers

[suffolk009]

Sandpit Steve said:

TheDeuce said:

Was gonna post the same thing pretty much - max in the barriers handing Lewis pole...

Mazepin will provide comedy throughout.

Max does have a history of pushing too hard here, it really wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bin it at some point over the weekend. His advisors need to keep him calm and not let things get to his head. One DNF needs three or four wins to catch up, if Lewis remains consistent at finishing as high up as possible.

Max's usual overtaking *style* won't work here. He'll be in the armco, or maybe the harbour.

[TheDeuce]

The last pole lap at Monaco...

https://youtu.be/Ej8n56fkgWY

I'm sure the other drivers will be watching this video this week too! There were a couple of mistakes in the second half of the lap but still got the job done.

[ChocolateFrog]

Saturday is going to be genuinely intriguing.

I wonder if the gap last year will have more of an affect than at other tracks, there really isn't much to compare to Monaco.

Lewis for his 99th.

[andburg]

suffolk009 said:

Max's usual overtaking *style* won't work here. He'll be in the armco, or maybe the harbour.

No, the party being overtaken will be in the armco, he'll be wedged underneath them

[moffspeed]

First GP at Monaco was 1929 (not 1950) by my reckoning. Won by the enigmatic “Williams” in a Bugatti.

[Dal3D]

Mazepin has arrived in Monaco.

[thegreenhell]

moffspeed said:

First GP at Monaco was 1929 (not 1950) by my reckoning. Won by the enigmatic “Williams” in a Bugatti.

Don't be silly. Everybody knows that motor racing was invented in 1950, and nothing happened before that.