New Delhi: The Formula One calendar finds itself in one of its most opulent venues, Monaco. The defending champion is the local boy Charles Leclerc, and in the pace he displayed during the practice session, the Ferrari driver could give them their first win of the season. Since the last outing, there have been some changes brought in to make the race a little exciting.
This season, there has been the introduction of a mandatory two-pit stop has in place, after last year’s disastrous race saw four retirements and barely any overtakes, with the finishing grid almost identical to how the race had started. A street grid that has been in the calendar almost regularly since the start of F1 in 1950, the narrow lanes with barely any space for overtakes, has been a celebrity attraction more recently.
How drivers and teams stand
In a season where McLaren has dominated so far, a win for Max Verstappen last weekend at the Imola GP, his second this season, has brought some confidence for the other teams. While it wasn’t their best outing in a while, the Papaya team still managed to clinch two podium finishes, with Oscar Pastri maintaining a 13-point lead at the top with 146 points, ahead of his teammate Lando Norris’s 133 points. The Australian driver is being chased by Verstappen, who has so far taken 124 points in the season.
Mercedes in the last weekend had a forgettable outing, with George Russell finishing seventh, while Kimi Antonelli failed to finish the race. Russell still finds himself in fourth place as far as the Driver’s Championship goes, having displayed consistency over the last seven races. It was the weekend for both Ferrari and Williams. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, his best performance at Ferrari so far, and his teammate Leclerc finished 6th, with both the Red drivers finding pace.
For Williams, it was an amazing weekend as well, with Alex Albon finishing fifth, while his teammate Carlos Sainz finished eighth. Of the 20 competing drivers, four are still without a point to their name, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso being the biggest surprise in this list.
Defending their Constructors’ championship, McLaren are leading the table with 279 points. They are followed by Mercedes, who have 147 points to their name. Red Bull have 131 points with Ferrari taking 114 points to their name. The top five is completed by Williams, who have 51 points so far in the season. The points table has seen little change since the last outing.
When and Where to Watch the F1 Monaco GP?
Fans can watch all F1 Monaco GP sessions and actions on the Fancode and F1 TV apps. The qualifying on Saturday is scheduled to happen at 7:30 PM IST. The Sunday race is scheduled at 6:30 PM IST.
As Formula One comes to Monaco, a mandatory two-pitstop regulation is being seen as the ingredient that could make the race interesting again. Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
