F1 | Monaco at the pace of an F2: the challenges of such a slow race

The red flag during the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix removed the only variable that could have ignited the Principality’s race, namely the moment of changing tires to comply with the rule which requires using two different compounds during the race. However, the possibility of changing tires during neutralization created a completely different scenario, almost extreme for Formula 1.

Considering that track position makes the difference in Monaco and that overtaking is almost impossible due to the characteristics of the track, almost all of the drivers opted for the most logical and immediate strategy, that is, trying to complete 76 laps with the same set of tires . This especially penalized those who, in the first start, had started the race on the hard tire hoping to go long and take advantage of a Safety Car or a red flag at the right time.

This move, however, backfired, as several drivers, including the Mercedes duo and Verstappen, were forced to cover almost the entire length of the Grand Prix on mediums. It is precisely this aspect that partly dictated the slow pace seen during the race, so much so that at the start of the race the times were only a couple of seconds lower than those seen during the morning’s Formula 2 race. If in free practice with high fuel (fundamental to understand the behavior of the car between the walls) we lapped, even in traffic, at a pace of 1:15, in the first part of the race the leading drivers often remained above 1: 19. It is no coincidence that drivers, like Oscar Piastri, said they were frustrated by having to lap with this caution, so much so that the Australian himself at times described his times as “slower than Formula 2”.

Because a pace not far from F2

Although Monte Carlo is not an aggressive track on tyres, everyone was aware that making the medium tire last 76 laps would not be an easy challenge. For this reason, from the first laps of the race, Mercedes attempted to manage the pace with George Russell, ensuring that he created a little train with which to keep both Verstappen and his teammate behind him. Knowing we couldn’t force too much, the only objective was to make the covers last as long as possible.

However, this slow pace also had implications for the leading group. Even though Ferrari itself did not want to force itself in order to keep the group together, given that there was no longer a regulatory need to make another stop, it was in the Maranello team’s own interest to adapt to Russell’s pace.

The objective was to think about the pace in such a way as to avoid creating a window of around 20 seconds between Lando Norris and the Englishman from Mercedes himself. This would have in fact allowed McLaren to recall their driver by fitting a more high-performance fresh tire which, on the contrary, Ferrari did not have with Sainz because the only set of medium sized tires had been damaged in the accident on the first lap. In fact, therefore, Cavallino’s strategists had to gradually adapt to an increasingly slower pace to cover their rivals.

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

A statement that is also applicable to the rest of the grid, because Racing Bull also followed the same reasoning to cover the drivers behind them and keep their pursuers at a close distance between them. Only towards the end, when their rivals would not have had the window to change tires even under the Safety Car without losing positions, the Faenza team gave the green light to Yuki Tsunoda to push, with the Japanese lowering his times by 3 /4 seconds.

The challenges of such a slow race

Driving at the limit in Monaco is probably one of the most demanding tests of the world championship, if not the challenge par excellence, the one that all drivers dream of winning, starting from the preparatory categories leading up to Formula 1. However, paradoxically, even driving at such a pace slow represents a challenge that should not be underestimated, because it touches on some critical elements.

Firstly, the issue concerns the tires themselves. The Principality track is in itself very gentle on the tyres, so much so that Pirelli is pushed to bring the softest options from the entire range every year. However, this “kindness” involves some critical issues. It must be kept in mind, in fact, that the compounds designed by the Italian company, including the C5, must respond to a wide variety of scenarios: although Jeddah has excellent asphalt which guarantees a lot of grip, on the other hand the rubber must withstand all the high-speed corners scattered along the track, with significant longitudinal and lateral loads. Compared to other tracks, Monaco has an asphalt that does not guarantee a high level of grip and, given its rather slow nature, there are few corners that transmit energy to the tyres.

It is no coincidence that during free practice, or even in qualifying, we saw drivers attempting an extra preparation lap to warm up the front tyres. Furthermore, on Friday, when there were much lower temperatures, just above 30°C for the asphalt, episodes of graining occurred, although they are not unusual in Monaco.

Pirelli P Zero Medium tires on the McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

On Sunday, however, the temperatures rose significantly, even reaching 45°C in the first part of the race, with a marked temperature change compared to the previous days. This increase in temperatures should have helped bring the tires up to temperature more quickly and, above all, reduce the graining problems experienced on Friday. On the contrary, however, such slow running of the race canceled out the effects of the improvement in thermal conditions.

If in itself Monaco is already a track that is not very aggressive on the tyres, running so slowly meant that it was even more difficult to transfer energy to the tire and heat the internal part, creating an even more significant imbalance between the surface and the casing. Precisely for this reason, even before halfway through the race, signs of graining were seen on several cars, an aspect of which the teams were aware having noticed the low energy levels on the tires from the first laps.

For the riders, finding the right balance was not at all easy. On the one hand we wanted to avoid creating peaks in the traction phase, which is why we tended to be gentle with the accelerator to avoid skidding that could increase the surface temperature, also pushing the braking distribution towards the front. On the other hand, you couldn’t even push too much in the high and medium speed corners, because that would have created peaks, so much so that towards the end, when the drivers started to push, they were asked to try to manage in areas such as curve 3 and 12.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Although going so slowly may have reduced the risk of an accident by being further from the limit, at the same time it put the riders in the position of having to manage a tire that was at times cold, well below the ideal window of use, finding a balance between the the need to carry it to the checkered flag and to avoid harmful elements that could have further compromised the grip.

Another theme was added to this, namely that of brakes. Monaco is considered an averagely severe track, not so much due to the braking force required, given that there are few demanding braking sections, but due to the high percentage of time spent with the brake activated. On a track so slow and full of corners, there are few opportunities for the braking system to get some air. However, with such a slow pace, the braking phases were also affected, because the riders were less aggressive, having to play with the distribution not only to manage the tires, but also to transmit temperature to the brakes. It should not be surprising that during the Grand Prix several drivers complained that the brakes were excessively cold, asking the engineers for suggestions.

All these elements put together a challenge for the drivers who, although far from the limit that Monaco has accustomed us to, especially on Saturdays, so much so that even those in the car asked to increase the pace on several occasions, had his technical insights on the management level.