Monaco 2025: Uneventful, but Consequential
The Monaco Grand Prix happened and that's the whole story. Well, almost.
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix is in history books. The kind of historical event that most people are aware occurred, yet few will take the time to learn more about it because—surprise, surprise—it is simply boring. This is the fate of the overwhelming majority of races held in the Principality.
The minor rule change introduced specifically for the narrow streets of Monte Carlo—mandatory two pit stops—didn't change the spectacle for the better. Well, at least it did provide some amusement.
Of course, I’m talking about the tactic of slowing down the cars behind you to buy a free pit stop for your teammate in front, as Racing Bulls and Williams did. Oh, and the penalty for George Russell, which was enhanced from a standard 10 seconds to a drive-through, after he had kind of snitched himself on the radio.
The amusement didn’t make up for the dull race. Some people wish for Monaco to be gone, while others attribute the issue to the cars being too large and heavy for the narrow streets of the Principality. I would gladly welcome cars that are 200 kilograms lighter, but it wouldn't change much, I'm afraid.
Monaco is simply bad for racing. I can only name two races from each of the past three decades that are truly worth watching. This is simply the nature of the track; Monaco is all about Saturday.
Has the Redemption Arc Just Started?
Qualifying is typically the primary thrill of the event. The circuit rewards precision, concentration, and bravery. Drive as fast as you can in a claustrophobic space. Get a millimeter close to the barriers. Embrace the danger, and you will make a difference.
Lando Norris, to his credit, accomplished all of the above and set a new track record in qualifying with a time of 1:09.954, marking the first and only lap to date below 1 minute and 10 seconds. He not only beat Charles Leclerc to pole position but more importantly, outperformed Oscar Piastri. He effectively won the race during qualifying.
I have often made fun of Norris for his fragile mindset and performance, but in Monaco, he truly delivered. I have to eat a crow. Over the weekend, the Brit his teammate on merit, which last time occurred in Japan, I would argue.
Now, Norris is only 3 points behind Piastri, and his championship campaign looks much better than it did two races ago. One swallow doesn’t make a spring, the proverb wisely states. Let’s see if the momentum he has gained will stabilize his mindset and performance.
Nothing Ever Happens
The FIA has issued three new Technical Directives, two of which came into effect at Imola. One of them is related to wheel bodywork and tire cooling, which are suspected to be behind McLaren’s supreme degradation. This, combined with the fact that, in Imola, the papaya cars hadn’t been as gentle on their tires as they had been in Miami, reasulted in a typical social media storm filled with allegations, speculation, and overall nonsense.
Fans from the Red Bull camp triumphantly asserted that McLaren has been exposed and can no longer cheat. The other side accused the governing body of favoritism and unfairly targeting their team.
Overreaction is the name of the game. You have to overdose it like David Croft calories.
Immersed in this low-quality soap opera, people forgot that the governing body had inspected McLaren's brakes and deemed them legal. This was revealed after the Miami Grand Prix.
So, why issue the Technical Directive? The purpose is to clarify what can and cannot be done with the brakes. Red Bull is eager to understand the secret behind McLaren’s tire cooling trick. Consequently, they submitted five design projects to the governing body to determine their legality. Only one was green-lighted. That’s all: a nothing burger.
Certainly, McLaren didn’t seem to suffer from excessive degradation in Monaco, as Norris set the fastest lap on the final tour.
Substance > hype.
No Flexing Allowed
I also don’t expect much change in the competitive order following the upcoming clampdown on flexible wings. While many Max Verstappen fans hope this will narrow the gap to McLaren, I would advise tempering those expectations.
I cannot predict the future, but my gut feeling tells me we’re going to see the repetition of 2022, when the crackdown on flexible floors was expected to impact Red Bull and Ferrari, who were reportedly using them. While it certainly hindered Ferrari, it had no effect on Red Bull, as their car was simply too good.
This year's McLaren is undoubtedly the best car on the grid, excelling on every type of circuit. It can only be challenged and defeated by the Red Bull in Verstappen's hands on high-speed tracks like Suzuka. The RB21 struggles in slow corners, hence the Dutchman wasn't a threat in Monaco.
In Barcelona, there are only two true slow corners, along with numerous fast and mid-speed ones. Therefore, Verstappen should be in the mix regardless of the clampdown.