Fernando Alonso to steal a win? 2023 Monaco GP Preview

Could the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix be the first race of the season to see a non-Red Bull Racing driver win?

Can Charles Leclerc stick it on pole...and lead the race to win? Yes, we're aware of Leclerc's Monaco jinx!

Or could it be Fernando Alonso scoring a win after a decade-long gap? Either winner would be extremely popular, no doubt. 

If you remember from last year, the Red Bull cars need two laps to warm-up tyres; could that be the chink in their armour this year? Also, the last two Q3 sessions in Monaco (2022 and 2021), have seen a Red Flag.

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah preview the upcoming 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. @f1statsguru presents his stats preview leading to the race - and in fact, will we have a race at all? Or will it be another procession around the streets of Monaco?

Tune in!

(Season 2023, Episode 23)

Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora, @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Aston Martin Formula One Team

**Monaco Grand Prix Preview**

- **Qualifying:**

- Qualifying is expected to be the most exciting session of the weekend.
- A red flag has interrupted Q3 in the last two Monaco GPs.
- Charles Leclerc has a history of misfortune in Monaco, but could this be the year he finally wins?
- Fernando Alonso, who has won in Monaco before, is another contender to watch.

- **Race:**

- The race is likely to be a procession, given the difficulty of overtaking in Monaco.
- However, there could be some excitement if there is a safety car or a red flag.
- Sergio Perez, who won in Monaco last year, could be a challenger to Max Verstappen.

- **Dark Horses:**

- Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Nick DeVries (AlphaTauri)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

- **Predictions:**

- Max Verstappen is the favorite to win, but Fernando Alonso could surprise.
- Lewis Hamilton could also be a contender if Mercedes' upgrades work.

- **Other Points of Interest:**

- This will be the first Monaco GP where Formula 1 will be directing the world feed.
- The race will be held on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday instead of the usual Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule.
- The Monaco GP is the shortest race on the F1 calendar at just 260 km. # Inside Line F1 Podcast: Monaco Grand Prix Preview

## Introduction:

- The hosts, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah, discuss the upcoming 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.

- They speculate on the possibility of a non-Red Bull Racing driver winning the race.

- Charles Leclerc's Monaco jinx is mentioned, along with Fernando Alonso's potential for a victory after a decade-long gap.

- The hosts highlight the Red Bull cars' need for two laps to warm up tires and the possibility of a Red Flag during Q3, as seen in the last two Monaco races.

## Race Preview:

- The hosts delve into the unique characteristics of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit.

- They discuss the challenges drivers face in overtaking, making it difficult for non-pole sitters to win.

- The hosts analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the top teams and drivers, including Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

- They also consider the impact of the new qualifying format and its potential to shake up the grid.

## Stats Preview:

- F1statsguru presents statistical insights and trends related to the Monaco Grand Prix.

- He highlights the dominance of Red Bull Racing in recent years and the challenges faced by other teams in securing a victory.

- F1statsguru also discusses the historical significance of the Monaco Grand Prix and its status as one of the most prestigious races in Formula One.

## Controversies and Insights:

- The hosts touch upon the ongoing debate regarding the fairness of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, given its lack of overtaking opportunities.

- They also discuss the potential impact of rain on the race and the strategies teams might employ in such conditions.

- The hosts provide insightful analysis of the driver and team dynamics, including the pressure on Leclerc to perform well in his home race.

## Conclusion:

- The hosts wrap up the podcast by summarizing their key takeaways and predictions for the Monaco Grand Prix.

- They emphasize the unpredictability of the race and the possibility of an exciting and thrilling battle for victory.

- The hosts invite listeners to engage with them on social media to share their opinions and questions about the upcoming race.

[00:00.000 -> 00:25.400] Okay then, it's been so many weeks since we've had Formula 1 action, two to be precise.
[00:25.400 -> 00:30.200] And now Kunal, we have to go for another week without Formula 1 racing as well because this
[00:30.200 -> 00:36.080] week it's the Monaco GP and we all know Sunday is just going to be like an exhibition showrunner
[00:36.080 -> 00:37.080] of sorts.
[00:37.080 -> 00:39.020] Are you looking forward to it?
[00:39.020 -> 00:44.600] Because I mentally am so exhausted already thinking about the fact that, oh no, we're
[00:44.600 -> 00:48.240] going to have a two hourlong Monaco GP with nothing.
[00:49.640 -> 00:50.640] Wait a minute.
[00:51.280 -> 00:55.520] It could be nothing unless we really have a qualifying order jumbled,
[00:55.520 -> 00:58.720] which we saw when we raced last time before Imola.
[00:58.720 -> 01:01.160] But Somil, before we get to Monaco,
[01:01.160 -> 01:07.560] this typically would have been our Imola Grand Prix review, right? We didn't
[01:07.560 -> 01:13.340] have an Imola Grand Prix like we were discussing before. It's probably one of the rare times
[01:13.340 -> 01:18.760] Formula One was defeated by weather. You know, this is where Sebastian Vettel's t-shirts
[01:18.760 -> 01:23.240] which made no sense last year and the year before last suddenly are making sense as memes.
[01:23.240 -> 01:31.760] That's what everybody's doing. Why don't we just discuss what F1 did a rewatch of the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix that's what I
[01:31.760 -> 01:36.560] grew up doing by the way. Yes it's not the Formula One car no we're not gonna go down that route
[01:36.560 -> 01:42.720] again but yes we at least got to see some racing this weekend and beat the past and it was amazing
[01:42.720 -> 01:51.680] to watch. I actually sat down on the Sunday evening and that Kunal was a proper battle. Schumacher versus Alonso, proper hardcore racing
[01:51.680 -> 01:57.440] and the interesting part is to make a race fun you don't need a million overtakes, you just need
[01:57.440 -> 02:03.600] a good battle and hopefully we get something similar in Monaco this weekend. Hopefully it's
[02:03.600 -> 02:05.140] not a Red Bull Racing win because
[02:05.140 -> 02:08.600] realistically Kunal and that's one thing we both have been discussing for quite a while
[02:08.600 -> 02:13.720] this could well be the best chance we have for a non Red Bull Racing win.
[02:13.720 -> 02:19.160] That's correct that's what Fernando Alonso has also been saying you know he's made some
[02:19.160 -> 02:24.560] interesting statements like Lance is my hero was one of them right which we all remember then he
[02:24.560 -> 02:25.720] made the statement saying,
[02:25.720 -> 02:27.660] we want to see how the first three races go.
[02:27.660 -> 02:29.880] And then, you know, all three races are different.
[02:29.880 -> 02:32.060] And then we establish a baseline for the season.
[02:32.060 -> 02:33.920] That's already happened.
[02:33.920 -> 02:36.460] Then he said, our best chance is to win
[02:36.460 -> 02:38.660] our three races this season.
[02:38.660 -> 02:40.840] I think one was Monaco, then was Spain.
[02:40.840 -> 02:42.180] So could it be a doubleheader,
[02:42.180 -> 02:43.940] weekend of winning for Fernando?
[02:43.940 -> 02:48.560] God knows, I'm dreaming it up. And then I think he also said Silverstone. But either way, he said Monaco,
[02:48.560 -> 02:55.360] there we go, we have Monaco. But you did a rewatch. And yes, guys, we will talk of Monaco before.
[02:55.360 -> 03:03.440] But we have to just go back to Imola for a few bits, right? We actually have lost two races in
[03:03.440 -> 03:05.840] 2023. Who would have thought that could have happened?
[03:05.840 -> 03:10.480] We, of course, don't have the Chinese Grand Prix, and now we didn't have Imola. One was down to
[03:11.200 -> 03:15.920] nature. The other one was also down to nature or human mistakes or whatever human
[03:16.880 -> 03:23.760] controversy, as you may call it. But we had 25% of races done in 2023, which is like,
[03:23.760 -> 03:26.440] oh my God, everything is running fast and going.
[03:26.440 -> 03:29.600] And we've got a few questions that came in on social media.
[03:29.600 -> 03:31.320] What happens to the budget cap?
[03:31.320 -> 03:35.960] Well, the budget cap was fixed for 23 races and it remains 23 races
[03:36.280 -> 03:39.680] unless a race is canceled three months before
[03:40.560 -> 03:43.680] it actually is supposed to happen, in which case, you know,
[03:44.240 -> 03:52.320] the teams would get paid less for that race or not paid, but teams would be able to spend less, but that's not happened. The cancellation happened three days before.
[03:52.640 -> 04:06.360] Same with power unit allocations. Some will there was a bump up in the allocations, everybody gets an extra set. So, you know, one race less of penalties. Well, that remains the same as well. Although the only impact is on the earning
[04:06.360 -> 04:10.040] that Formula One will have, and hence the teams as well,
[04:10.040 -> 04:13.560] because a force majeure would have been triggered
[04:13.560 -> 04:15.920] by the flooding in Imola.
[04:15.920 -> 04:18.760] So it's down to no earning or less earning
[04:18.760 -> 04:22.880] or lack of earning for Liberty Media and hence the teams.
[04:22.880 -> 04:30.000] But we will know about this when F1 announces its Q2 earnings after Q2 is over.
[04:30.000 -> 04:33.120] Ganesh, what did you mean by Q2?
[04:33.120 -> 04:39.460] You wait, wait, it took me a second to realize you're actually talking about financial results
[04:39.460 -> 04:42.720] and not a Formula One qualifying.
[04:42.720 -> 04:48.000] It's just that when you're so far into this, yeah, when you're so far into this world, it sort of feels like Q2 can only mean one thing.
[04:48.000 -> 04:56.000] But hey, speaking of qualifying, let's get to that in a second. But we're so far into the flow of this episode that we've made a simple error.
[04:56.000 -> 05:02.000] We've not told you who we are and we must do that. So welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Inside Line F1 podcast.
[05:02.000 -> 05:08.480] My name is Somal Arora. I'm the host of the Indian Racing League broadcast on Star Sports.
[05:08.480 -> 05:14.020] And joining me as always, FIA accredited Formula One journalist Kunal Shah, the former marketing
[05:14.020 -> 05:18.380] head of Force India, who now works for the Viaplay network, who broadcast Formula One
[05:18.380 -> 05:21.580] in so many different markets.
[05:21.580 -> 05:25.760] And for all those markets, Kunal, the important point this weekend is going to be
[05:25.760 -> 05:31.440] some sort of action on Saturday because I think to be honest looking at the races over the last
[05:31.440 -> 05:37.360] few years, looking at how dull Monaco actually gets on race day, there's only one saving grace
[05:37.360 -> 05:42.800] and that's Saturday and so far Saturday hasn't been disappointing here because we've seen in
[05:42.800 -> 05:50.600] the last couple of years that a red flag has interrupted Q3 and strangely, strangely, for some reason or the other, Max
[05:50.600 -> 05:52.680] Verstappen just always gets interrupted.
[05:52.680 -> 05:57.000] Yeah, and he's been interrupted before as well, either by his own doing or somebody
[05:57.000 -> 05:58.000] else's doing.
[05:58.000 -> 06:03.200] But yes, qualifying will be the most interesting session this weekend.
[06:03.200 -> 06:07.080] You know, watching a driver put the car on the
[06:07.080 -> 06:10.520] limit around the streets of Monaco, the most incredible.
[06:10.520 -> 06:14.840] I mean, let's remember it is the original street circuit that every other street circuit
[06:14.840 -> 06:17.480] has tried to emulate.
[06:17.480 -> 06:19.640] I mean, you know, that's how I see it.
[06:19.640 -> 06:25.580] But you know, if it was up to me, and since 1 is in this whole re-watch mode,
[06:25.980 -> 06:31.880] we should probably have the qualifying session in the 2023 cars, 2023 drivers and all of that.
[06:32.180 -> 06:41.880] But maybe do a re-watch of the 1996 race, the rain affected race where Olivier Panis won from 14th place on the grid.
[06:42.120 -> 06:45.120] Only three cars finished and all three of them were on the podium.
[06:46.080 -> 06:53.040] And in fact, that's a stat you will hear several times this weekend through qualifying, through
[06:53.040 -> 06:58.480] practice, maybe even through the race, because I think that's one used and abused stat when it
[06:58.480 -> 07:06.640] comes to the Monaco Grand Prix. But you know what? You said you re-watched Imola. I, of course, did that as well in a bit of a fast forward mode.
[07:06.640 -> 07:13.320] Interestingly, there were, I think, very few on-track battles or on-track overtakes at that time.
[07:13.320 -> 07:17.080] But Alonso versus Michael Schumacher, edge of seat action.
[07:17.640 -> 07:20.080] Alonso was defending, Michael was attacking.
[07:20.480 -> 07:23.880] Several corners, several laps at the end of the race.
[07:24.280 -> 07:26.880] Something that I think we saw in Jeddah last year
[07:26.880 -> 07:30.800] with the DRS games, you know, Verstappen, Leclerc, likewise,
[07:30.800 -> 07:31.760] et cetera.
[07:31.760 -> 07:34.560] But the point I'm trying to make is it was, you know,
[07:34.560 -> 07:37.960] those cars, those nimble-looking little cars
[07:37.960 -> 07:40.840] that we see those comparisons of looked so much on the edge,
[07:40.840 -> 07:42.460] so much quicker.
[07:42.460 -> 07:47.320] And I just wish that we are able to bring that formula back
[07:47.320 -> 07:48.940] into Formula 1, not those engines,
[07:48.940 -> 07:52.520] but similar, smaller, faster, more agile cars,
[07:52.520 -> 07:56.720] rather than the heavy, wide cars that everybody is down talking
[07:56.720 -> 07:57.240] these days.
[07:57.240 -> 08:00.760] But interestingly, in 2005, here we go,
[08:00.760 -> 08:08.540] McLaren, Jordan, which is now Aston Martin, and Red Bull were the bottom six in the Constructors'
[08:08.540 -> 08:09.540] Championships.
[08:09.540 -> 08:10.540] Okay.
[08:10.540 -> 08:15.860] At that time, they were allowed to run a third car in Friday free practice because they were
[08:15.860 -> 08:19.140] in the bottom six of the Constructors' Championship, right?
[08:19.140 -> 08:24.020] The top eight drivers got points, not the top 10, right?
[08:24.020 -> 08:27.240] And P3 typically 30 seconds away, P4 was a minute away.
[08:27.240 -> 08:31.200] So some things have changed drastically, you know, which teams are where in the in the
[08:31.200 -> 08:32.200] championship.
[08:32.200 -> 08:36.880] And some things remain the same as to how a team or a couple of drivers at the front
[08:36.880 -> 08:40.400] would just run away in the race as opposed to the rest.
[08:40.400 -> 08:42.360] Could that happen in Monaco?
[08:42.360 -> 08:43.360] Anybody's guess.
[08:43.360 -> 08:44.360] Yeah.
[08:44.360 -> 08:49.000] If there's anything that changes that order, it's just going to be something chaotic and crazy on Saturday.
[08:49.000 -> 08:55.000] Because Red Bull Racing normally don't quite mess up strategy quite like Ferrari have done over the course of the last few years.
[08:55.000 -> 08:58.000] They won't have that kafafla like 2022 for sure.
[08:58.000 -> 09:00.000] If anything, they can only go worse from there.
[09:00.000 -> 09:05.400] But realistically Kunal, that brings us on to which drivers to really watch for this weekend.
[09:05.400 -> 09:09.720] Because I was thinking, okay, Verstappen always has it unlucky over here.
[09:09.720 -> 09:15.800] Maybe if Q3 gets interrupted again, for some reason, I feel like he's just not having the rub of that luck.
[09:15.800 -> 09:20.080] So, assuming for instance, Max Verstappen doesn't get a good run in Q3.
[09:20.080 -> 09:22.280] If he does, I think there's no doubting that he's going to win.
[09:22.280 -> 09:25.040] Even though Sergio Perez is like the master of the streets.
[09:25.040 -> 09:29.520] But realistically, if you go back and look at most of his street race wins,
[09:29.520 -> 09:33.360] it will come when Verstappen has had some sort of issue with his race weekend.
[09:33.360 -> 09:35.360] Sometimes it's of his own doing.
[09:35.360 -> 09:39.760] Mostly it's something or the other that happens around him that doesn't quite allow him to.
[09:39.760 -> 09:43.760] So I just don't buy into the king of the street sort of argument, whatever it might be.
[09:43.760 -> 09:47.640] So that really sort of puts away both the Red Bull drivers.
[09:47.640 -> 09:52.480] But if, for instance, we do want to see some surprises, I'm torn apart between Alonso and
[09:52.480 -> 09:57.520] Leclerc, because we know that Sergio Perez, if something goes wrong, will be right there.
[09:57.520 -> 10:01.120] But between Aston Martin and Ferrari, that could be a fun battle.
[10:01.120 -> 10:08.680] We really genuinely don't know who has the pace, because Ferrari in the last couple of weekends have been coming back with their upgrades. Aston Martin at the start
[10:08.680 -> 10:13.240] of the year showed great promise with the high downforce sections of each circuit. So
[10:13.240 -> 10:21.680] this is for real a battle heading into Monaco. Especially since qualifying is so critical
[10:21.680 -> 10:27.760] in Monaco. Track position, we're going to keep hearing this time and time again through the weekend
[10:27.760 -> 10:28.760] to come.
[10:28.760 -> 10:32.700] Could Charles Leclerc put it on pole and control the race?
[10:32.700 -> 10:34.440] That's always what everybody's hoping.
[10:34.440 -> 10:35.440] Could Fernando López?
[10:35.440 -> 10:36.440] No, no, no.
[10:36.440 -> 10:37.440] Wait, wait.
[10:37.440 -> 10:38.440] I know you're going for Carlos Sainz.
[10:38.440 -> 10:39.440] I know you're going for Carlos Sainz.
[10:39.440 -> 10:40.440] Yes, but okay.
[10:40.440 -> 10:46.000] No, Carlos Sainz aside, will Charles Leclerc put it in pole position and actually see the chequered flag?
[10:46.320 -> 10:49.200] That's what I'm curious about. And you know what?
[10:50.000 -> 10:54.800] Monaco's national motto as it's called is called with God's help.
[10:55.080 -> 10:59.600] So maybe he will really be chanting his national motto, national anthem.
[10:59.600 -> 11:04.640] I don't know whatever it's called, but it actually does happen that way. But no, let's look at it.
[11:04.640 -> 11:07.820] Can this be the first weekend we genuinely have a chance
[11:07.820 -> 11:09.900] to see a non-Red Bull racing win?
[11:09.900 -> 11:11.260] Could Leclerc put it on pole
[11:11.260 -> 11:13.420] and control the race from there, for example?
[11:13.420 -> 11:16.540] There's just one DRS zone on the front straight.
[11:16.540 -> 11:18.500] It could be a limited one,
[11:18.500 -> 11:20.460] especially given how wide the cars are,
[11:20.460 -> 11:23.020] how short the DRS straight is, et cetera.
[11:23.020 -> 11:31.000] Could Fernando Alonso be genuinely a contender given Monaco is a street circuit, slow-medium corners,
[11:31.000 -> 11:36.000] that's where Aston Martin really have had their advantage when it comes to performance.
[11:36.000 -> 11:38.600] So, could there be a genuine way this could happen?
[11:38.600 -> 11:44.400] And then, of course, could there be some tricks that some teams could play to try and get a pole,
[11:44.400 -> 11:46.240] try and get a win, and so get a win and so on. Because,
[11:46.240 -> 11:50.080] you know, if you do the job on Saturday, they're pretty much doing the job on Sunday, unless,
[11:50.080 -> 11:55.600] of course, there is chaos and strategy and rain and various things that get thrown in. But I would
[11:55.600 -> 12:00.720] love to see if there is a genuine chance for a non-Red Bull Racing win this weekend.
[12:01.600 -> 12:09.480] It could well be, if something or the other happens in qualifying. And I think we're at that stage where we also have to address Sergio Perez, because
[12:09.480 -> 12:14.720] I think it's the one year anniversary since we saw that qualifying session last year and
[12:14.720 -> 12:19.360] just for the sake of doing it, let's revisit it again Kunal.
[12:19.360 -> 12:24.960] Why on earth would a driver intentionally crash when they are provisionally P3 in qualifying?
[12:24.960 -> 12:27.120] It just does not make sense to me.
[12:27.120 -> 12:28.360] It really is so random.
[12:28.360 -> 12:33.120] And of course, some people think that really put Sergio's win in Monaco last year under
[12:33.120 -> 12:34.120] jeopardy.
[12:34.120 -> 12:37.240] But do you really see him having any chance this weekend?
[12:37.240 -> 12:41.360] Because as I mentioned just like a minute ago, every single time that Sergio Perez has
[12:41.360 -> 12:50.600] won on a street circuit, it's just been because Max has had some issue. Pure and simple. And even Miami last week, we saw how, oh wait, wow, the last
[12:50.600 -> 12:54.560] race was Miami. It feels like a century ago. But yeah, the last time we had a race, which
[12:54.560 -> 12:58.880] was Miami, Sergio was miles off the pace. The guy couldn't control it, couldn't win
[12:58.880 -> 13:07.280] from P1 when Max was P9. So I really don't think that he is going to have a chance this weekend, unless Max has an issue.
[13:07.280 -> 13:16.720] You know, more than how… It will be the anniversary to that infamous controversial crash,
[13:16.720 -> 13:24.560] which saw Checo Perez start up ahead and then claim the win ahead of Max Verstappen.
[13:24.560 -> 13:25.600] And he won in Monaco his
[13:25.600 -> 13:32.800] first time, blah, blah, blah. But, you know, based on the current sequence where Max and Checo have,
[13:32.800 -> 13:37.200] you know, won alternate races, could it be that that trend continues and hence it's Max,
[13:37.200 -> 13:42.720] it's actually Checo's turn to win next. But could that next have been skipped, given that the next
[13:42.720 -> 13:45.840] would have been in Imola and hence now it's Max's chance to win, right?
[13:45.840 -> 13:53.480] But I personally believe in Miami. Max just was in a phenomenal zone of, you know, performance
[13:53.480 -> 13:57.240] which nobody could, you know, sort of catch him. And then on Sunday,
[13:57.560 -> 14:04.360] he got lucky with the hard tires that he started with being the better strategy to be on as well.
[14:04.360 -> 14:09.400] So it was talent that was backed by luck on the Sunday as well.
[14:09.640 -> 14:12.960] But I would love to see how, how this whole dynamic plays out. I mean,
[14:12.960 -> 14:16.440] more than Checo's mistake, I would love to see if Max, you know,
[14:16.440 -> 14:20.360] brings out another beast in himself, thanks to the mistake in itself.
[14:20.960 -> 14:23.280] Oh yeah. And then there's all the battling behind,
[14:23.280 -> 14:25.840] which now actually makes me want to be
[14:31.680 -> 14:37.360] very excited about the whole weekend but I have got one question about the entire racing side of it and one question from Formula One in fact that can they put on a show with these new cars at a
[14:37.360 -> 14:41.840] circuit like Monaco because following has been has been good Kunal, I think we can all agree
[14:41.840 -> 14:49.680] that these new cars are definitely an upgrade in terms of a spectacle from the previous ones but this is the toughest place to go.
[14:49.680 -> 14:54.800] I think on Monday, the next Monday that is, most people are just going to come out including us
[14:54.800 -> 15:00.960] constantly whining because the racing is just unfortunately the cars are way too big but
[15:00.960 -> 15:05.760] do you think anything can make it a fun Sunday apart from some rain and I don't think any
[15:05.760 -> 15:10.080] Formula One fans will be asking for any rain now after what's happened unfortunately over the last week.
[15:10.480 -> 15:18.080] So dry race it is but in a dry race. Yeah we did too much of a rain dance everybody I guess and
[15:18.080 -> 15:22.240] suddenly there was so much rain that we were like guys just keep it dry and give us a proper race please.
[15:23.200 -> 15:26.240] Seriously but what do you think can really save it in the dry?
[15:26.240 -> 15:31.680] Because at this stage, we know it's just going to be a flat-out, intra-Red Bull fight.
[15:31.680 -> 15:35.440] Otherwise, it's going to be a proper head-on fight between Carlos Sainz,
[15:35.440 -> 15:39.120] who's traditionally, very randomly actually, very, very good here for some reason.
[15:39.120 -> 15:42.000] And then Leclerc, who somehow just never finishes the race here.
[15:42.000 -> 15:50.000] And of course, Fernando Alonso, who previously has won a race here, obviously has a lot of strengths. But anything else that excites you? Any sort of dark
[15:50.000 -> 15:54.080] horse? Because I have a pick, and I'm very intrigued to see how this battle in the midfield goes.
[15:54.080 -> 16:01.120] I'll tell you what excites me. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'll tell you what excites me. Formula One for
[16:01.120 -> 16:05.140] the first time in about 20 years, will actually be directing the world
[16:05.140 -> 16:11.360] feed in Monaco, something that the Automobile Club of Monaco was normally doing up until
[16:11.360 -> 16:12.360] now.
[16:12.360 -> 16:17.200] So that's what Formula 1 is going to be doing this weekend onwards, which was actually one
[16:17.200 -> 16:22.580] of the negotiation points that Formula 1 brought to the table, took to the table, saying we
[16:22.580 -> 16:25.040] will control what is actually going to happen.
[16:26.960 -> 16:31.040] Interestingly, we are, of course, no longer doing the Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, but now the
[16:31.040 -> 16:36.240] Friday, Saturday, Sunday, that's also something new in Monaco, which we will see happen. I'll
[16:36.240 -> 16:41.360] tell you what else I'm interested in. Carlos Sainz has finished twice, second twice in a row. Could
[16:41.360 -> 16:50.800] he be the savior? With God's help, could he be the one winning as he goes? But you spoke of the Monday race review, which we sometimes end up calling
[16:50.800 -> 16:57.200] it the crib view, right? Could that be one? I mean, in 2022, there were five on track passes.
[16:57.840 -> 17:05.000] 2021 had no overtakes. 2018, the top six finished just as they had started.
[17:05.000 -> 17:06.000] Right.
[17:06.000 -> 17:10.000] So it's it doesn't it doesn't look at the moment.
[17:10.000 -> 17:18.000] Look at looking at stats looking at everything that we know unless there is absolute chaos like Michael Massey kind of chaos.
[17:18.000 -> 17:20.000] I don't know how this race can be exciting.
[17:21.000 -> 17:28.360] Let's hope there's something to watch for on the Sunday. But hey, now that you've mentioned stats, let's actually go to F1 stats guru who can
[17:28.360 -> 17:33.600] give you some better ideas about what the numbers have to say about the Monaco GP.
[17:33.600 -> 17:36.780] And he's been doing a lot of digging about some previous races.
[17:36.780 -> 17:38.800] So a fun segment is about to come up right now.
[17:38.800 -> 17:42.280] Hey folks, it's time to do the stats preview of the Monaco Grand Prix.
[17:42.280 -> 17:44.960] My name is Sundaram, also known as the F1 stats guru.
[17:44.960 -> 17:48.640] Let's get straight into the numbers, shall we, because we have quite a few interesting
[17:48.640 -> 17:49.640] ones.
[17:49.640 -> 17:53.080] The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the oldest and most prestigious events in the world of
[17:53.080 -> 17:58.800] motorsport. The event was a part of the inaugural world championship in 1950, which means it's
[17:58.800 -> 18:09.260] a special track, and along with that honour, come a lot of exceptions. At 3.337 km, Monaco is easily the shortest circuit on the F1 calendar.
[18:09.260 -> 18:13.940] And it's also the only track that does not adhere to the FIA's mandated minimum track
[18:13.940 -> 18:16.460] length of 3.5 km.
[18:16.460 -> 18:20.780] It's also exempt from the minimum race distance rule of 305 km.
[18:20.780 -> 18:25.680] The Monaco Grand Prix lasts just 260 km over 78 laps.
[18:25.680 -> 18:29.820] It's not much really, I mean had it not been exempt, the race would have been 14 laps longer
[18:29.820 -> 18:31.780] which is roughly 20 minutes more.
[18:31.780 -> 18:32.980] But it is what it is.
[18:32.980 -> 18:36.020] Now a lot of people don't particularly like Monaco.
[18:36.020 -> 18:39.660] Many people still swear by it, many people not so much.
[18:39.660 -> 18:43.760] One thing is certain that qualifying higher up is of prime importance.
[18:43.760 -> 18:45.240] If you want to win this race,
[18:45.240 -> 18:49.860] it's ideal that you start within the first three grid slots, because no driver has won
[18:49.860 -> 18:55.160] from below third on the grid in the last 26 years. A lot of people also think it's only
[18:55.160 -> 19:01.000] about pole position. Well, not really. In the last 25 years at Monaco, the pole sitter
[19:01.000 -> 19:06.040] has won on 13 occasions, whereas at Monza, a race circuit where probably overtaking
[19:06.040 -> 19:12.120] is a lot easier, the pole sitter has won 16 times in the last 25 years. So maybe not a
[19:12.120 -> 19:16.200] lot of overtaking but you probably have something to look forward to this weekend.
[19:16.200 -> 19:20.320] And the final stat for today is that the last driver to take back to back wins at Monaco
[19:20.320 -> 19:28.880] was Nico Rosberg in 2014 and 2015. It's interesting that although he's retired several years ago, we always find a way to talk about him. But yes, he's the last
[19:28.880 -> 19:32.840] one to do that and Sergio Perez won last year. So who's gonna be winning it this
[19:32.840 -> 19:37.440] year? Max Verstappen or could it be a certain Spaniard who returns to winning
[19:37.440 -> 19:42.240] ways around this very special track. That was the stats preview of the Monaco
[19:42.240 -> 19:45.600] Grand Prix and I hope you folks really enjoyed that one.
[19:45.600 -> 19:49.000] For more such interesting stats and facts, do follow me on my Twitter and Instagram under
[19:49.000 -> 19:50.000] the name F1StatsGuru.
[19:50.000 -> 19:52.600] I'll see you folks very soon.
[19:52.600 -> 19:56.820] Welcome back in ladies and gentlemen to the Inside Line F1 podcast and we have to talk
[19:56.820 -> 20:00.560] about the Monaco GP and there are a couple of final things that we have to talk about
[20:00.560 -> 20:05.760] Kunal which include largely upgrades because this is now the first proper
[20:05.760 -> 20:09.840] race when they can bring in upgrades because of course Imola unfortunately got cancelled
[20:09.840 -> 20:15.840] and Mercedes have been making some noise that their upgrades over here could be very pivotal
[20:15.840 -> 20:20.640] to their chances. Do you see any other teams bringing in upgrades as well because for Monaco
[20:20.640 -> 20:30.960] obviously every team has their own specific package that they bring in. But I am personally very excited to see which teams will actually think, OK, does it make sense to bring an upgrade here?
[20:30.960 -> 20:35.840] Because it's such a peculiar circuit. And I think it's also the last of the variants, right?
[20:35.840 -> 20:41.440] We're finally getting to see a very high downforce in the calendar that we haven't had in the previous races so far.
[20:42.880 -> 20:45.440] Absolutely. And I mean, frankly frankly you asked what about the other
[20:45.440 -> 20:51.360] teams bringing in upgrades, I think do we really care, I mean we just really want to see what the
[20:51.360 -> 20:56.720] hype Timola upgrade is all going to be, will it be that they'll bring the upgrade in in Monaco or
[20:56.720 -> 21:01.200] will they wait till Spain, I'm talking of in teams in general, I mean maybe that's the upgrade
[21:01.200 -> 21:09.600] strategy as well because what they would be doing is, you know, if the upgrades work on track, then they will produce more of those upgrades, right?
[21:09.600 -> 21:14.320] So that's what the teams would have missed in Imola, to see how the upgrades actually perform.
[21:14.320 -> 21:18.320] So they, you know, it's going to be about should we risk it in Monaco? Or should we just bring it
[21:18.320 -> 21:22.800] to Spain and then go from there, which of course, eventually all works in Red Bull's favor that
[21:22.800 -> 21:29.280] everybody just takes longer to catch up if they actually will end up playing catch up out there.
[21:29.280 -> 21:36.800] But Soumil, why don't we both pick a dark horse from the midfield for this weekend?
[21:36.800 -> 21:42.000] Because the midfield has been intensely close as we know. We've been talking of that several times.
[21:42.000 -> 21:46.960] Bahrain was what? 1.18 seconds gap between P1 and P20.
[21:46.960 -> 21:53.920] Miami was 1.2. Could Monaco be closer or not? That's something we won't be able to guess right
[21:53.920 -> 21:58.480] now. But what's your pick? Let's have a dark horse for the weekend from the midfield.
[21:59.040 -> 22:10.800] Oh, goodness. This is a tough one. From the heart, it's going to be Yuki Tsunoda because I really want him to do well. You just feel the emotion, right? He's raw, he's unfiltered and he's also been going out in
[22:10.800 -> 22:15.360] the community to help in the Emilia-Romagna region, which is incredible of him. So, that's
[22:15.360 -> 22:23.120] from the heart. But realistically, the mind knows that Alfa Tauri does not have a chance. So, I think
[22:23.120 -> 22:28.480] I'm going Oscar Piastri. I feel that McLaren are gearing steadily. McLaren
[22:28.480 -> 22:33.680] themselves said that high downforce is one area that we do tend to do a decent job at considering
[22:33.680 -> 22:37.600] where things are. Andreas Teller came out in the open and said that, hey, that's one area where
[22:37.600 -> 22:42.800] we are good at. And I just feel that there is a lot of room for Oscar Piastri to impress. He's
[22:42.800 -> 22:45.400] been doing a lot in the sidelines
[22:45.400 -> 22:47.360] because McLaren haven't quite had a good car.
[22:47.360 -> 22:49.400] So he's putting in some very impressive lap times
[22:49.400 -> 22:51.040] here and there, clocking in some decent positions.
[22:51.040 -> 22:53.520] But I feel this is the time where we get to see
[22:53.520 -> 22:55.760] raw talent shine in a qualifying lap.
[22:55.760 -> 22:58.640] And I feel just for some reason that Oscar Piastri
[22:58.640 -> 22:59.920] might be that one driver.
[22:59.920 -> 23:02.280] So I really will keep a keen eye on him.
[23:02.280 -> 23:03.800] But what about you, Kunal?
[23:03.800 -> 23:05.120] Who really excites you the most?
[23:05.120 -> 23:06.240] It's interesting.
[23:06.240 -> 23:07.200] You've picked a rookie.
[23:07.200 -> 23:10.240] I'm going to pick the other rookie who's been under fire.
[23:10.240 -> 23:14.320] I think Nick DeVries, he's been a world champion of a series
[23:14.320 -> 23:16.480] that goes racing on the streets.
[23:16.480 -> 23:19.040] And he's raced in Monaco before.
[23:19.040 -> 23:24.240] And I think this break would have sort of helped him.
[23:24.240 -> 23:27.280] And familiarity of racing in Monaco, etc. is just
[23:27.280 -> 23:32.400] probably going to give that side out to him, I would say. So I'd say look out for Nick DeVries.
[23:33.200 -> 23:38.960] I would also say that Haas is where I would maybe say there's another dark horse, because they've had,
[23:38.960 -> 23:44.720] I think, four out of five races, they've had a top 10 start that's happened. And Nico Hulkenberg
[23:44.720 -> 23:47.560] particularly does well here in qualifying.
[23:47.560 -> 23:50.160] I think he's been 11th a few times over already.
[23:50.160 -> 23:51.240] But I'd love to see that.
[23:51.240 -> 23:53.680] And we've been hyping up the Saturday.
[23:53.680 -> 23:55.680] And there's a reason, guys, why we
[23:55.680 -> 23:58.080] believe Saturday is going to be key to watch.
[23:58.080 -> 24:02.920] Because apart from, I think there are only three drivers
[24:02.920 -> 24:09.880] who made it into Q3, all races, that's Alonso, Carlos Sainz, and Charles Leclerc.
[24:10.680 -> 24:12.520] So that's one stat.
[24:12.520 -> 24:16.520] 16 drivers have made it out of Q1.
[24:16.520 -> 24:18.040] Okay, that's another stat.
[24:18.040 -> 24:20.840] And then we already know if there is gonna be a red flag
[24:20.840 -> 24:22.520] in Q3 or not.
[24:22.520 -> 24:26.400] We've had a red flag two consecutive years. Will there be
[24:26.400 -> 24:31.680] one a third consecutive year and will that sort of just spice things up for the Sunday?
[24:32.240 -> 24:35.840] Yeah, that's going to change everything if that potentially happens. But okay,
[24:35.840 -> 24:41.520] very quickly Kunal, who are you betting on for the win? My money is on Max again,
[24:41.520 -> 24:44.960] again, boring choice from my end, but are we on the same team here?
[24:45.520 -> 24:47.040] Max again, again, boring choice from my end, but are we on the same team here? No, we're not.
[24:47.040 -> 24:49.240] I'm going to take Fernando Alonso.
[24:49.240 -> 24:56.120] I genuinely have a feeling he is going to do whatever it takes to get that one win.
[24:56.120 -> 24:59.560] He's going to have a stat which is the longest gap between two wins.
[24:59.560 -> 25:04.960] He's already crossed 10 years since his last win, et cetera, et cetera.
[25:04.960 -> 25:07.120] And you know, very interestingly, I'm going
[25:07.120 -> 25:09.280] to add this one more stat.
[25:09.280 -> 25:11.640] We saw in Monaco last year, and guys,
[25:11.640 -> 25:13.800] remember, the cars are pretty much the same
[25:13.800 -> 25:15.680] or therein or thereabouts.
[25:15.680 -> 25:18.280] The Red Bulls actually needed two laps
[25:18.280 -> 25:21.760] to get their tires in the working range, right?
[25:21.760 -> 25:39.320] If that continues to be a challenge for them this year in Monaco, it suddenly just opens up a lot more possibilities for somebody else to come and qualify higher up on the grid. So that is what I would really be interested to see. And that's what I think you guys should also all look out for.
[25:39.680 -> 25:45.280] Yeah, let's let's just hope we get a race. That's the most important part. We don't want to showdown.
[25:45.280 -> 25:48.840] We've seen far too many of them, haven't we, Kunal?
[25:48.840 -> 25:49.440] We have.
[25:49.440 -> 25:51.800] And then imagine, now the conversation
[25:51.800 -> 25:54.960] has moved on that we're not even talking Lewis Hamilton, who
[25:54.960 -> 25:58.520] has also had a phenomenal record in Monaco.
[25:58.520 -> 26:00.560] And one of his records that I remember digging in
[26:00.560 -> 26:07.120] is the last four races, he has finished in the same position that he has started.
[26:07.120 -> 26:11.240] If Mercedes's upgrades do come and if they do deliver,
[26:11.240 -> 26:13.760] I would love to see what happens to Lewis Hamilton,
[26:13.760 -> 26:17.560] especially the whole Hamilton-Russell rivalry vibe,
[26:17.560 -> 26:18.960] et cetera, that we are seeing.
[26:18.960 -> 26:22.440] And that has to, it will hit another gear
[26:22.440 -> 26:26.560] should Mercedes's car actually end up being a quicker car than what it currently is.
[26:26.560 -> 26:31.800] That'll be interesting to watch actually, I just want them to have some, some decent
[26:31.800 -> 26:35.920] upgrade, they've been talking about it for so long, let's just see if this one finally
[26:35.920 -> 26:41.060] is it, but let's hope for a good race this weekend, let's hope we get some racing anyway
[26:41.060 -> 26:48.080] because we've been barely getting any and we just don't want another procession after again a couple of weeks of not getting any Formula One
[26:48.080 -> 26:52.400] at all but if you think this race is gonna be a good one let us know why down
[26:52.400 -> 26:56.240] in the comments below of this episode and also who you think is gonna be your
[26:56.240 -> 27:00.160] dark horse because I get a feeling not everyone is gonna go down Kunal's road.
[27:00.160 -> 27:03.680] I think most people are gonna also say that it's Max but surprise us let us
[27:03.680 -> 27:06.220] know what your thoughts are down below in the comments
[27:06.220 -> 27:07.000] as well.
[27:07.000 -> 27:09.440] And I'm going to add a surprise element.
[27:09.440 -> 27:12.880] I know Samuel is just about ending the episode.
[27:12.880 -> 27:18.360] If you guys remember when we did the Imola preview,
[27:18.360 -> 27:19.700] and we said, hey, you know what?
[27:19.700 -> 27:22.120] Nobody in Mexico is listening, so why don't we just
[27:22.120 -> 27:24.360] act like we're supporting Max Verstappen?
[27:24.360 -> 27:29.440] Guys, guess what? We actually got listeners writing in from Mexico saying, hey, guess what?
[27:29.440 -> 27:36.160] We are listening to the podcast. I love the fact that literally everywhere in the globe,
[27:36.160 -> 27:42.640] there is someone somewhere sitting and consuming our podcast, enjoying the content we are putting
[27:42.640 -> 27:45.200] out. You actually can check out my socials.
[27:45.200 -> 27:50.200] I'm going to put out some tweets and screenshots of a very interesting exchange that came in
[27:50.200 -> 27:52.400] from Mexico.
[27:52.400 -> 28:00.960] We actually had two listeners, CF Barajas and Dr. RHG, who wrote in saying, hey, we're
[28:00.960 -> 28:04.640] cheering for you guys from Mexico, so keep cheering on for Perez.
[28:04.640 -> 28:07.680] So who knows, it could be Checo Perez this weekend.
[28:07.680 -> 28:10.240] Hey, folks, thank you so much for writing in.
[28:10.240 -> 28:12.360] And again, if you are enjoying what we do,
[28:12.360 -> 28:13.720] from any part of the world that is,
[28:13.720 -> 28:15.120] just send us in a tweet.
[28:15.120 -> 28:16.720] It makes our day completely.
[28:16.720 -> 28:19.000] And also, feel free to ask any questions
[28:19.000 -> 28:20.520] that you have about Formula One as well,
[28:20.520 -> 28:22.560] or any opinion that you want to discuss
[28:22.560 -> 28:23.640] on our socials as well.
[28:23.640 -> 28:27.440] And that's the beauty of social media, right right so let's just make use of that but
[28:27.440 -> 28:30.960] thank you thank you genuinely for reaching out to us and we'll be back
[28:30.960 -> 28:34.920] with more on Monday so let's chat actually till then send us your opinions
[28:34.920 -> 28:39.640] on social media we'll be back till then have a fun time folks enjoy and yeah
[28:39.640 -> None] take care bye bye Take care. Bye-bye. you