Monaco GP: It’s all about grit, glamour and glory; thrilling battle in the offing
Monaco, 26 May 2018: Let’s start with why this GP is like none other in the calendar.
It has an arrogance which is unique due to the patronage of the Uber Rich and the display of wealth per sq ft more than anywhere else on the planet. Last week, it was officially given No.1 status as the second smallest country in the world with citizens living an average age of 89 with more than 30 % worth upward of a million dollars! No wonder they find it gauche to have a brand or title sponsor. Just ‘ The Monaco GP ‘ if you don’t mind! It doesn’t pay any fees to F1, just the berthing rights of the boats during the GP that earn it around 17 million dollars and to add to F1s earning.
No grid girls in 2018 at F1 events was announced by the new management Liberty. Ha, ha, ha, you kidding, was Monaco’s response! Yep, the girls are very much frolicking around!
Any die-hard F1 fan will tell his own about the difficulty of traversing this treacherous 3.337-km street circuit. After the event, the Principality has to remove paint from the walls that was deposited by F1 cars daring to punch the limit! The legendary Ayrton Senna won the event six times! While not all F1 fans and participants approve of this edgy style of racing, it does add to the flavour!
FP 3 session late Saturday morning saw the impetuousness of youth go faster than Max Verstappen himself resulting in his shunt that put him out of the qualifying session much to the obvious delight of his Red Bull team-mate Ricciardo!
The risk and reward is very real in Monaco said the two times F1 pole-sitter Ricciardo, both scored at the same venue!
The Red Bull driver has been on a roll this weekend, topping the time-sheets in the Free Practice sessions, and he carried the form into qualifying, finishing ahead of Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen and Bottas. So, as has been the norm this season, the Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes (not necessarily in that order!) have made the front few rows their preserve.
While hypersoft was the preferred compound of choice by the top ten qualifiers, it’s going to be a gruelling event tomorrow and the eventually finishers are highly unlikely to finish in today’s pecking order! The safety car making it’s presence felt in this fascinating race has been the norm rather than the exception, and it’s going to be bumper to bumper all the way!
With no sign of rain forecast tomorrow it’s going to be hot on the circuit in more ways than one! With the unforgiving walls of the Monaco street circuit beckoning, it’s going to be a matter of true grit to the fore!
