Monaco GP preview | Can upgraded Mercedes and Aston Martin beat Red Bull?

Since the beginning of Formula 1, the Circuit de Monaco has always been one of the most prominent destinations in the motorsport class. The first race in the Formula 1 world championship took place in 1950, with Anthony Noghes emerging victorious. Then the Grand Prix was not held for four years, but after that, Monaco became a fixture on the calendar.

Ayrton Senna still holds the record for most wins in Monaco. The Brazilian managed to cross the line as winner six times, spanning the late 1980s and early 1990s. Michael Schumacher followed next with five wins.

After Lewis Hamilton's victory in 2019, the race did not take place in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, a year later, Formula 1 returned. Max Verstappen then secured an important victory, taking the lead in the world championship for the first time in his career. Then Sergio Perez triumphed last year.

Monaco's street circuit contains many tight corners, challenging overtaking manoeuvres and narrow straights. The track is about 3.34 kilometres and includes almost 80 laps, resulting in a total race distance of about 260 kilometres. One of the more unique corners on the track is the Rascasse, located around the La Rascasse restaurant.

Because of the challenge of overtaking, qualifying often plays a decisive role in the weekend. On Sunday, it is difficult to overtake, so there are few changes from the starting grid. Nevertheless, partly because of its rich tradition, the Grand Prix remains an indispensable part of the Formula 1 calendar.

Red Bull Racing currently stands on five wins from as many Grands Prix. Especially in the races, the RB19 is so far untouchable, but in Monaco next weekend, everything could just be different. As mentioned, qualifying is incredibly important, and that is where Red Bull will want to improve. The competition sees chances of an outlier in Monaco.

Aston Martin's AMR23 is particularly good in the slow corners, and so Monaco may be their biggest chance for a win this year. Fernando Alonso has this weekend circled in red in his diary and will have prepared optimally. At the same time, Ferrari and Mercedes will be hoping to surprise on Saturday so that they can cash in on a possible pole position in the race.

Many teams had planned updates for Imola, but because the Grand Prix was cancelled, the new parts have not yet been introduced. To test these updates in Monaco for the first time is risky. Not only because there is nowhere more likely to put the car into the wall (and thus immediately destroy the updates), but also because the Circuit de Monaco is an a-typical circuit.

If the updates turn out not to work well at Monaco, it does not necessarily mean that the parts introduced have failed. Many race teams, therefore, choose to postpone the updates for a week and only take them to Spain, the circuit the teams are very familiar with because of the many test days. Ferrari chooses to put the new parts on the car in Spain, Mercedes does it 'just' in Monaco.

It can rain in Monaco, as we saw last year. The race was delayed on Sunday due to heavy precipitation. For this weekend, rain is again expected. Friday seems to remain dry, but for Saturday and Sunday there is a 70 and 50 per cent chance of precipitation, respectively.

Friday
First free practice: 12:30 - 13:30
Second free practice: 16:00 - 17:00

Saturday
Third free practice: 11:30 - 12:30
Qualifying: 15:00 - 16:00

Sunday
Race: 14:00