Unpredictable Monaco: Leclerc's home advantage could shake up F1 grid
May 25 - Red Bull may not be the hot favourite as usual this weekend in Monaco, according to Dr Helmut Marko.
Either Max Verstappen or Sergio Pérez have won every single grand prix so far in 2023 with the dominant Red Bull.
But the team's Marko warned: "We will not be able to use our advantages in Monaco.
"Tyre wear will not be a decisive factor," he told motorsport-magazin.com, "and there are virtually no straights where we can demonstrate our advantage in speed."
Marko, 80, thinks Ferrari could be the favourite due to the team's qualifying pace and speed in slower corners.
Highly respected Spanish broadcaster Antonio Lobato agrees with that.
"Monaco is the only place where different things can happen because the man matters more than the machine," he told Radio Marca.
"It is a special race that can defy logic. Aston Martin could win or Ferrari or Mercedes could win - or at least they have more chance than elsewhere.
"Qualifying will be very important," Lobato added.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was on pole in his native Monaco for the past two years.
"If there is a small glimmer of hope, Leclerc can put his car ahead of everyone in qualifying," F1 legend Riccardo Patrese told Quoditiano Sportiva.
"He's a phenomenon on a flying lap and he's from Monte Carlo - he knows every inch of the asphalt. If he starts ahead, he can keep them all behind him on Sunday."
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"He's a phenomenon on a flying lap and he's from Monte Carlo". It hasn't helped him in the past! A flying lap does not win a race! 78 of them in succession may prove successful at Monaco. In theory Ferrari should do well here, however, if the drivers don't manage to stuff it, the pit wall management will! Very frustrating for the tifosi!
Theoretically buying my wife an exercise bike was a good idea, However.............!
C'mon, Shrop', you know very well that the MBZRB-1 will prevail and the knight will shine with Roscoe on the balcony barking his encouragement. BTW, keep us looped in re the divorce.
The only way the knight will shine in Monaco is, if its a full moon, I predict the knight will struggle around Monaco and end up at the back end of the top ten with GR in P5 for Quali, the top three should be the usual suspects
Even if Leclerc manages to qualify first, which isn't a foregone conclusion, given Ferrari doesn't have the same qualifying performance they had last season, I fear Ferrari would still find a way to screw him via a strategic blunder, or he'd make an unforced error.
I'd be happy if he could finally win his home GP, but I'm skeptical.
I'm more confident about AM & Alonso achieving this feat.
My guess, and it is just a guess, is that VER is motivated by all of this LEC & ALO talk and will fly in quali. If so, the RB pitwall is the best in the biz and will keep him ahead. Boring race with yet another VER-PER-ALO podium. The only fun will be watching the red team find a way to screw up. Pray for rain on Sunday.
Aahhhhh ....... Monaco in the rain! What a spectacle!
Remember the wet 1982 race when Riccardo Patrese in the Brabham was the last man standing and won after everyone else either crashed or ran out of fuel.
Or the 1984 race when Ayrton Senna drove the Toleman to second place after the race was controversially red flagged to give the win to Alain Prost.
Monaco in the wet always creates something special and controversial! I'm doing a rain dance for Monaco!
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