It's a rapid turnaround for Formula One as the sport heads to the iconic Principality of Monaco this weekend following last week's Spanish Grand Prix. In a calendar with plenty of street circuits, the Monaco GP is the one where everyone wants to win. But, with the track notoriously tricky to overtake on, it's likely to be Saturday that decides the winner when the 20 drivers go out on the softest Pirellis with the lightest fuel loads.
The historic event is one of only four circuits to feature in the original 1950 F1 season. Unlike Silverstone, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps, however, the streets of Monte Carlo haven't had their layout changed dramatically since the first race 72 years ago.
Some things that will differ in 2022 are the wide modern-day F1 cars threading the needle around the narrow public Meditteranean roads. We'll see if the 2022 regulation cars allow closer running throughout a lap of Monaco; the current generation F1 cars create far less turbulent air than in recent years. Whether that will help on such a slow-speed track where mechanical grip is usually more critical than aerodynamics will be fascinating to see.
Although the drivers have the unenviable job of navigating their way around a circuit not made for the cars they sit in as quickly as possible (think driving a Ford Focus around the aisles of Tesco), it's the strategy that can make all the difference here. The teams must be reactive to any safety cars, virtual safety cars, or incidents that might trigger one as it's near-impossible to pass on the track. So expect to see some slower teams run as long as they can on their starting set of Pirelli tyres in the hope of benefitting from a "cheap" pit stop later in the race.
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The 2022 Monaco Grand Prix will see the teams run with the softest three Pirelli tyre compounds – the C3, C4, and C5. This trio of rubber is the opposite of Spain when Pirelli brought the hardest three, but it's no wonder; tyre degradation is rarely a concern thanks to the slow speeds of Monaco. So instead, Pirelli will make sure each driver can extract the most performance from their tyres on an ever-evolving surface as the weekend progresses.
One element may prove to be a foil to any team's weekend preparation – rain. Sunday's forecast currently sits with a 60% chance of a shower, which would dramatically change everything. No matter how high up on the grid a driver qualifies, a wet Monaco can quickly become a lottery of luck if anyone brakes one metre too late and ends their day in the barriers. The sun should shine for Qualifying, but it could be Pirellis green-walled Intermediate tyres or even the blue Wets if the rain falls on Sunday.
Max Verstappen heads into the race with an impressive run of three consecutive wins, and he now leads the championship after trailing Charles Leclerc all year. The Red Bull driver should also fancy his chances in Monaco after taking the victory in last year's race. Leclerc may not feel as optimistic, however. Although the race represents his home event – usually something that gives a driver a boost – the Monegasque is yet to finish a Monaco Grand Prix since joining F1 in 2018. Leclerc did take pole position in 2021, but he failed to start the race due to damage sustained in his late-qualifying crash.
One final storyline might hinder Verstappen from taking another winner's trophy. Mercedes showed a significant step forward with their upgrades last weekend in Spain. Should the team have found a silver bullet – or should that be a Silver Arrow – for their early-season technical woes, Lewis Hamilton or George Russell could make it a 6th Mercedes win in the previous nine Monaco Grands Prix.
Qualifying will get underway at 3PM on Saturday, while the Grand Prix begins at 2PM.
Qualifying – On air: 2PM, Session start: 3PM Saturday 28th May
Race – On air: 12:30PM, Session start: 2PM Sunday 29th May
Qualifying – 10PM Saturday 28th May
Race – 6:30PM Sunday 29th May
Qualifying – Mostly sunny with afternoon clouds with an expected air temperature high of 27°C and a low of 18°C
Race – Rain showers are possible (60% chance of rain) with an expected air temperature high of 22°C and a low of 18°C
