After the sad and unfortunate events in Italy sparked by heavy rains and the ensuing floods, the Italian GP that was to be held in Imola was cancelled. The teams were told to pack and hit the road for Monaco for Round 7 of the 2023 F1 championship.
Perhaps one of the most iconic tracks in F1 history, Monaco is a challenge for drivers and teams alike. Aero upgrades prepared by Mercedes for the Italian GP are unlikely to perform well on the streets of Monaco and as such, questions remain as to what will the teams do now? Will we have to wait more to see the full potential of the Mercedes’ W14 challenger? And how will the rest of the grid cope with a missed race weekend? UK bookmaker William Hill has the latest odds!
※ Current Odds Date & Time: May 23rd, 7:00 A.M. (EST)
The odds for this weekend’s race are anything but expected. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Max Verstappen, who is priced at a staggering 2.25, which is the highest he’s ever been this season. Could it be due to the fact that street circuits are Perez’s specialty? It very well could be as the Mexican is priced at only 3.75 for this weekend’s race. A significant change to what we’re used to this season.
Another surprise is the Monegasque driver and the home hero, Charles Leclerc. Even though Ferrari’s pace is approximately 30km/h slower than that of Red Bull’s, the bookmakers priced Charles at only 5.00 for the Monaco GP. A risky bet but one that could very well pay off if Ferrari manages to secure pole position. As we all know, overtaking is immensely difficult on the narrow streets of Monaco and Leclerc is by far the most aggressive defender on the grid at the moment.
The Circuit
Circuit de Monaco is one of the oldest and most famous tracks in F1 history. With its first ever GP held all the way back in 1950, Monaco has established itself as an iconic F1 track and an irreplaceable circuit when it comes to F1. Drivers such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton all raced and won on this magnificent track proving just how legendary this venue is.
The track itself is a 3.337 km long circuit featuring 78 laps and covering a distance of 260.286 km during the race. There are 19 slow-speed corners and only 1 DRS zone making overtaking nearly impossible. The current lap record is held by the 7-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton with a time of 1:12:909 set in 2021.
What to Expect?
Due to the unforeseen circumstances in Italy, the upgrades prepared for that race weekend will have to wait a bit longer before they are deployed and fully utilized. Questions remain whether Mercedes’ aero upgrades will work on the streets of Monaco. However, what we can say for certain is that we will see a significantly different W14 challenger with a radical side-pod design change coming into this race weekend. With this, Mercedes is hoping to close the gap between themselves, Ferrari and Aston Martin in order to give them a fighting chance for the top 3 finish in the Constructors Championship.
Another team to watch out for is Red Bull, or more specifically, Sergio Perez. It’s no coincidence that the bookmakers priced Sergio at only 3.75 for this weekend’s race. After all, he is the king of the streets having won in Monaco in 2022. The pairing of Red Bull’s drivers is a turbulent one, with reports suggesting that Max Verstappen isn’t happy with the Mexican at all. Will we see a battle of the Bulls in Monaco? Anything is possible!
Last but not least, the drivers to watch out for this weekend are Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant. With poor performances so far in the 2023 season, reports emerged suggesting the two could very well be replaced if they don’t deliver in the races to come. More specifically, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher are waiting in line to take over the seats from Nyck and Logan for the 2024 season. Will they deliver? We will have to wait and see.
