The best part this time is probably not yet to come, but qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix certainly didn’t disappoint. The track has its big and sensational limitations in the race, but the session that decides the pole position is every year one of the funniest and most exciting of the entire season. Played on thousandths (as expected), with Max Verstappen on pole position (as expected), was recomposed in the result of the forecasts only at the last breathwith a Verstappen Fantasticauthor of his first pole position on the Montecarlo circuit, forced to “cut” even against the walls in order to succeed, in the face of containing the risks. In second place one extraordinary Fernando Alonsoin front of an equally extraordinary Charles Leclerc and to a equally extraordinary Esteban Ocon. Four pilots who have transformed the Principality into one Lions’ den and from which they emerged with probably merits comparable to each otheralthough Verstappen’s act of courage in the third sector is perhaps one consecration (if more are needed) for the reigning World Champion. The flying lap discipline is one of the qualities that Max had acquire over timebecause it has always emerged that genetically it wasn’t in his DNA such as race pace, sensitivity or tire management. Today, however, the two-time world champion went on to take a nasty pole position, with a fantastic last sector and an intelligent preparation for the lap. Thanks to him and his team, which put a car in his hands once again as a recordeven on a track where it couldn’t benefit much from its usual strengths.
Alonso and Verstappen alternate the rubber surrender
During the course of the session the track changed a lot and over and over again, an important factor for the Monaco layout. After an initial phase of rapid evolution in Q1, at the end of Q2 the track seemed to have reached the optimal level of grip for everyone, but in Q3 something changed again, with slightly higher temperatures and the tires becoming even more sensitive And no longer able to return the maximum performance along the whole lap. Looking at the comparison between the data of Alonso and Verstappen we can see this difference.
Indeed, the Aston Martin presents itself at the beginning of its tour with the tire perfectly prepared and ready to immediately exploit its maximum potential. Alonso flies in the first sector, with a perfect front and a great level of grip, while Verstappen is noticeably slower precisely where grip is needed, at the usual Massenet and Casino, or even at at the Mirabeua point in which Alonso brakes very late, as opposed to braking very early by Verstappen, evidently still unable to perceive the maximum grip of the tyre. Verstappen begins to catch up on the descent towards Portier but it is after the first esse of the pools that he performs a real miracle, a section on which we have focused.
Verstappen arrives at the end of the lap with the maximum rubber performance, unlike Alonso who has now lost his grip peak and has to do the last few corners in a somewhat more conservative way. And so on the longitudinal axis the RB19 makes a monstrous difference, incredibly stable in braking of the second they of the pools and the Rascasse, and then with what we call “sling traction” exiting the Anthony Noghes towards the finish, with Verstappen hitting the wall on both the outside and inside in an attempt to cut as far as possible towards the finish. A backlash from Verstappen worthy of the sprint finishes of many other sports. At the same time also a confirmation of the incredible effectiveness of the suspension mechanics of the RB19 on the longitudinal axis in braking and traction, an aspect that we have repeatedly emphasized this season, and which was clearly revealed in the final corners of the Monaco track
Ferrari rediscovers what we saw in free practice, impossible to do more than that
Third in terms of times, but sixth at the start due to the sensational oversight of the wall in the situation with Norris, she was the Charles Leclerc’s Ferrarialso the author of a capitalized session, this time without errors on his part and with quite a brave ride in turn. In Maranello it obviously is back on the trim after the difficulties of the third free practice and the SF23 proved itself much more driveable even if with a performance peak which appeared lower than Red Bull and Aston Martin, albeit slightly on the flying lap.
In the comparison between Leclerc and Vestappen we see a substantial parity from a chronometric point of view in the first two sectors with a Ferrari effective under braking, but a little more in difficulty in the extremely tortuous section from Mirabeau to Portier, in line with what was observed in free practice. Leclerc was ahead of Verstappen, stopwatch in hand, up to the second S of the swimming pools, a point from which the Dutchman’s super performance analyzed above also prevailed over the Monegasque’s red, with even a small snap from Leclerc right at the pools, perhaps because he too had run out of rear tyres, in analogy with Alonso. Behind them, an exceptional man qualified Esteban Ocon with Alpine who will start from third place on the grid tomorrow.
The result of the race will depend on contingent situations
There are few predictions to make about the race. Overtaking on the Principality with these cars is really impossiblewhich is why they will be contingent situations make a difference. If nothing happens, the race will probably arrive in the same starting order, while accidents, Safety Cars and strategies could change something, but none of this is conceivable in advance. Maybe it will be boring, something that many complain about every year, but we continue to believe that the emotion that the qualifying session on this track always gives brings things back at least partially into balance, on a track where we still see the man somehow still make as much difference to the machine as the four lions of today.
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