Based on recent racing history you’d be forgiven for dismissing the Monaco Grand Prix as nothing more than a procession of some very fast racing cars. But in 2022 the race on the streets of Monte Carlo delivered just about everything a Formula 1 race can.
Saturday qualifying saw a standout performance from Ferrari as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz locked out the front row of the grid. The quali session ended with Checo Perez in the wall and left Max Verstappen without the chance for a final Q3 run.
The race however didn’t get going an hour and ten minutes after what was scheduled as the official start time. The threat of rain seemed to be the reason for the delay. But at the official start time of 15:00 there was a bit of rain but not enough to justify the delayed started. This Sunday race control and those in charge of it did not cover themselves in glory.
When it did get underway Leclerc looked to have the race well in control. As the track began to dry a decision of when to switch to Intermediate tyres had to be made. Red Bull decided to deploy the overcut by staying out longer than Ferrari. But Sainz played what seemed to be the best strategy of all by extending his stint and switching straight onto slicks. But Perez’s longer stint enabled him to jump into the lead of the race as the field finally switched to slick tyres.
On lap 21 Ferrari chose to double stack their cars in the pitlane with disastrous consequences for Leclerc. The Monegasque driver went from leading comfortably to fourth place. Obviously livid Leclerc was left staring at the back of Verstappen’s gearbox. On lap 28 of the race Mick Schumacher’s Haas crashed into the barrier on the exit of the swimming pool section. The damage looked severe but thankfully the driver stepped out of the car without any issues. Nevertheless, for cleanup and rearrangement of the barrier a red flag was deployed.
The race resumed on lap 33 with a rolling start and would clearly run to the two hour time limit well before the allotted remaining laps could be run. Red Bull had opted for new medium tyres while Sainz in P2 and Leclerc in P4 opted for the hard compound.
Despite struggling with wear on his medium tyres Perez held his own and placed his cars in all the right spots. He held off Sainz for a famous victory. Perez’s latest win at the famed Monaco Grand Prix not only moves him right into the championship fight but also more than likely assures his seat for 2023.
With Sainz and Verstappen rounding out the podium a dejected Leclerc was fourth at the chequered flag. George Russell kept up his strong performances with a fifth-place finish just ahead of good friend Lando Norris in sixth.
The Fernando Alonso queue though did reaffirm the impossibility of overtaking on the famous streets. So impossible in fact that Alonso was able to run nearly four seconds off the pace and hold up the entire field behind him. The Spaniard finished a solid seventh for Alpine with a frustrated Lewis Hamilton in eighth. Valtteri Bottas was ninth for Alfa Romeo while Seb Vettel was tenth for Aston Martin.
There was rain, chaos from race control, rolling starts, red flags. And from all of it Checo Perez emerged as an extremely popular winner after a genuinely stellar drive.
