One lap, 3337 meters, as fast as possible. This Saturday (4:00 p.m. / Sky) the preliminary decision for victory in the Formula 1 classic in Monaco can once again be made.
A top grid position is almost a sure guarantee of success in Sunday’s race. Unless something happens that could change everything again. The weather and a few other things are discussed in the Formula 1 paddock in the Principality.
From the sun to the rain:
Glorious sunshine on Friday. And also this Saturday in the knockout phase it should be midsummer. But then: A not too low probability of rain on Sunday before the start of the race and also during the 78 laps. What that means: Nothing is predictable anymore.
A word of power called team order:
Charles Leclerc does not want to make his success dependent on it. His Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz is still not coping very well with the new car, has scored 39 fewer points and is fifth in the standings. Leclerc is second, only six points behind Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull team recently made clear the strategy for the title defense mission with clear instructions to Sergio Perez. “I don’t want to have to rely on something like that,” said Leclerc. “Ultimately, it’s my job to do the job right and bring Ferrari to the top.”
A photo of the naked Bottas:
Valtteri Bottas had saved the last copy for Lewis Hamilton. Even with dedication and signature. “I heard you like the photo,” said Bottas, handing over the finely framed photo with a laugh. “What were you doing there?” asked the Brit who received the gift, taking a closer look and also laughing heartily. “Refreshed,” said Bottas, who in the photo is naked on his stomach in a crystal-clear creek in Colorado. More than 5,000 copies were sold for good causes, raising more than 50,000 euros. Hamilton got it as a gift.
The fuss over alleged copying:
Sebastian Vettel just thinks it’s unfair. That his team and individual employees, who had recently come to Aston Martin from Red Bull, were the focus of criticism and hostility. It was about the sudden transformation of the new racing car of Vettel and his teammate Lance Stroll. He showed a certain, quite striking resemblance to the current Red Bull. What had been used by Vettel’s former racing team as a template for verbal attacks.
Senna forever:
Ayrton Senna won the Monaco Grand Prix six times. Where else but in the Principality could the former team of the Brazilian who died in 1994 present a memory for eternity. “His name will always have a place on our cars,” declared the British team. Senna is and always will be a McLaren legend. The charismatic South American switched to McLaren in 1988 and won the world title in his first year with the British. He followed suit in 1990 and 1991 before moving to Williams in 1994 and dying in an accident at the San Marino Grand Prix.