Formula 1 arrived at the most iconic venue on the calendar, beautiful Monte Carlo for the Monaco Grand Prix, the ultimate challenge! And after three wins in a row, Max Verstappen was leading the Drivers’ Championship, but Monaco is Charles’ home.

FRIDAY

Formula One moved Friday practices from the traditional Thursday to Friday, in theory to make it easier on F1 personnel.

It was a gorgeous day, and the cars were taken out into the track for the first time in FP1. About 20 minutes into the session, Mick Schumacher reported issues, then when trying to get into the pit-lane the car stopped, blocking the entrance. The session was red flagged while the car was retrieved by the Marshalls. Meanwhile, Bottas’ Alfa Romeo also had problems and didn’t even set a timed lap during the first session, and the Mercedes drivers, especially Hamilton, kept complaining of excessive bouncing. At the end of a hot FP1, it was Leclerc who went fastest, followed by Perez, Sainz, Verstappen, and Norris the top-five.

It was about 90°F when FP2 started, with many drivers coming out almost immediately, and after a couple of minutes, all drivers bar Ricciardo, and Zhou, were on track. Vettel had a big moment as his Aston Martin slid towards the wall going around the swimming pool chicane, missing the barrier by a hair. Then, also in the swimming pool section, Daniel Ricciardo hit the barrier hard. He was ok, but not his McLaren. The first red flag of the session. The track was cleared, and practice resumed. Charles Leclerc continued his good form, also setting the fastest lap on FP2, a 1:12.656, ahead of Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

SATURDAY

Another beautiful day in Monte Carlo, and the F1 community was getting ready for the most important qualifying of the year a bit later.

During the third practice, it was a bit of the same as the day before with both Ferrari setting fastest laps along the Red Bulls.

A curious (and rare) thing happened about mid-session when Charles Leclerc did a 1:13.297, the exact same time as Checo Perez, equaling the fastest lap at the time. There were minor issues during the session, the biggest was Lance Stroll crashing his Aston Martin while exiting the Swimming Pool chicane. Anyway, Ferrari looked very strong around the Principality, Red Bull as fast as the red cars but not as poised. The final order in FP3 was Perez, ahead of Leclerc, Sainz, Verstappen, and a happy Pierre Gasly in the AlphaTauri.

QUALIFYING

Q1

Both Haas cars were the first to come out to set a fast lap, although traffic was the talk in the paddock, and it proved correct, playing a huge hand on many a driver’s timed laps. Curious thing, Carlos Sainz managed the exact same time as Perez’s fastest lap at the time, a 1:13.292. Then, with just 2:25 seconds on the clock, Tsunoda “kissed” his AlphaTauri into the barrier while entering the Nouvelle Chicane, causing a red flag. When the light turned green, almost everyone got out but not all of them with enough time to get to the line to start a flying lap. It was tight at the end and Albon, Gasly, Stroll, Latifi, and Zhou did not make it into Q2.

Q2

Traffic and car positioning was the name of the game, and after a very entertaining and exciting few minutes in the end, Tsunoda, Bottas, Magnussen, Ricciardo, and Schumacher failed to reach Q3.

Q3

And then, there were ten. What an exciting session we’ve had, with Leclerc setting a cracking lap of 1:11.376 early on, which proved to be enough. During the last part of qualifying, Perez lost the rear at turn 8, crashing his RB18, followed by Sainz crashing into him. Somewhere else on track, Alonso crashed his Alpine at turn 5. So, after those crazy final seconds, it was Charles Leclerc claiming Ferrari’s 12th Pole Position at Monaco, the most in F1 history. Sainz finished second, ahead of Perez, Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel, and Ocon.

SUNDAY

During the week there were rain predictions for Sunday, and dark clouds lingered on around the Principality. Charles Leclerc was starting from Pole Position and trying to finish the race for the first time after 3 starts in F1 and 2 in F2 had gone wrong.

Just minutes before the Grand Prix started it began to rain, enough for intermediates, although many started on full wets. As the track was completely drenched, the start was suspended for a few minutes. Tricky start to the race.

And then the heavens opened. Heavy rain started falling onto the track, so hence the delayed start, and a Wet Race was declared, meaning Extreme Wet Tires must be worn. And then, even more rain! So, it was red flagged. All cars to the pit-lane.

After about an hour's wait, the race procedures resumed, albeit behind the safety car. Finally, the race started with a rolling start on lap 3 of 77.

At around lap 7, several drivers pitted for intermediate tires, as the track was getting a bit drier. And even though Leclerc was setting fastest laps, it was the ones on inters, especially Pierre Gasly, who were overtaking with rather ease as the ones on wet tires began to struggle around the tight streets of Monte Carlo.

On lap 17, Perez was the first of the leaders to pit for inters, coming out in fifth, just ahead of George Russell. A lap later, Sainz was called in but after the driver’s advice, was told to stay out. Norris did stop for inters on that lap. On lap 19, both Leclerc and Verstappen pitted for inters, coming out third and fourth. On lap 22, amidst lots of confusion, both Ferrari drivers were called in for hard slicks, coming out Sainz in third, Leclerc in fifth. A lap later, Red Bull did the same thing, Perez came out in first, Verstappen in third, just ahead of Leclerc.

On lap 24, Perez and Sainz caught up with some backmarkers and while trying to pass Perez on the main straight he lost the rear of the Ferrari on a wet patch, saving it from what could have been a very nasty crash.

On lap 27, a big crash for Mick Schumacher on the swimming pool chicane. A VSC was deployed. Mick was ok, but his Haas was awfully destroyed with the whole rear of the VF22 ripping out of the car. A lap later, the safety car came out. And after a few laps, the race was red flagged. Both Haas cars were out of the race, with Kevin Magnussen retiring due to a system water pressure loss a few laps earlier.

Once the Tecpro barriers were repaired, the race resumed with a rolling start. It was also announced that the 2-hour limit was to be imposed, meaning less than 45 minutes of racing.

Interestingly, Perez, in first, and Albon, last, started trading fastest laps between themselves. Until Carlos Sainz joined them with another fastest lap, then came Leclerc with his fastest lap. Then Verstappen, and then Perez again, as the track was becoming faster by the minute.

Alex Albon became the third driver to retire from the race. Fifteen minutes to go, and the top four were racing within millimeters from themselves and the walls. In the end, it was the Mexican Checo Perez winning a thrilling Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz was second, Max Verstappen third, and a frustrated Charles Leclerc fourth, after Ferrari’s bad strategy calls. The fastest lap went to Lando Norris (P6), and with it an extra point.

Controversy, confusion, chaos, glitz, and glamour, this was the Monaco Grand Prix for 2022.

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