Seven rounds of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship will be held on the streets of Monaco this weekend.
The Monaco Grand Prix is the most famous in the calendar, but due to its low speed it is somewhat inconsistent, resulting in it running on the narrow streets of the kingdom. Only 42% of a cola is taken at full throttle. Conditions make overtaking extremely difficult, so qualifying in Monaco is more important than any other track.
The race was on the inaugural F1 calendar of 1950 and has been a regular fixture since 1955. The layout of the 2.1-mile Circuit de Monaco has remained largely unchanged over the years, with major updates occurring in 2004 when a new pit complex was built.
Its tight layout and closed walls mean there is no margin for error, so drivers with low speeds always need full attention. Breaking too late, like seven feet, can ruin an entire weekend. If a driver is lucky, they will end up on an escape route. Otherwise the car breaks down.
Circuit de Monaco, home of the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco sees about 80 significant changes in steering direction and 52 gear changes per lap. When you add constant throttle and brake pedal input, you can see how hard the drivers are working on each lap.
The grip level is also low because the circuit has completely public roads that are open to normal traffic every evening on race weekends, so there is not much rubber left on the surface during the Sunday race. As a result, the cars run a special high-downforce configuration in Monaco to maximize grip.
Slippery surfaces combined with slow speeds mean minimal wear and tear for tires. As a result, Pirelli has chosen the softest compounds. C3 is white hard, C4 is yellow medium and C5 is red soft. The weather forecast said there would be mild conditions during Saturday’s qualifiers but Sunday’s run could see some wet things.
Over the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstapen leads the 2022 Drivers’ Championship with 110 points. Ferrari’s Charles Lacklark is second with 104 points and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is third with 85 points. In the Constructors Championship, Red Bull leads with 195 points, vs. Ferrari 169 and Mercedes-Benz AMG 120 points. Last year’s winner in Monaco was Worstapen driving for the Red Bull.