If there’s one place where the starting grid is crucial, it’s Monaco. The narrow streets make overtaking nearly impossible, turning the race into a parade of Formula 1 cars. Charles Leclerc, who spoke to the press with a big smile after qualifying on Saturday, will start his home race from pole position – the best possible starting point for this prestigious Grand Prix.
However, the Ferrari driver will need to keep a close eye on his mirrors at the start. His teammate Carlos Sainz and both McLarens will do everything they can to gain positions at the start and in the first corner. If they don’t succeed here, it will be a tough task and they’ll need to make a tactical move during the pit stop to work their way up the field.
Behind them, we find Max Verstappen sandwiched between the two Mercedes drivers. They too will want to make their way forward as quickly as possible and won’t hesitate to use their elbows. This could turn into an interesting battle on the track.
The top 10 is rounded off by Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly. Finishing in the points is very important for these drivers, so they will mainly try not to lose positions in the race. Keeping themselves wide on the track and staying out of the wall will be their main task.
Looking further down the grid, we see the disappointing P14 of Fernando Alonso and P16 of Sergio Pérez. A single point may be the highest achievable in this Grand Prix, and both will be looking forward to the checkered flag.
The last starting positions will not be filled on the grid because Haas drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen will start from the pit lane. They were disqualified after the qualifying session due to an illegal rear wing.
