For the first time in 2016, a team other than Mercedes has earned the pole position for the biggest race on the Formula One calendar and they may have a good chance to win. In the race where anything can happen, will they be able to take home the race victory?
It’s time for the most popular event of the Formula One season: the Monaco Grand Prix. The event is located in the principality of Monaco and weaves through the narrow and unforgiving streets of the country. Often considered as the playground for the rich, Monaco provides racing like no other circuit on the calendar can provide. Overtaking is extremely difficult, so starting position makes a huge difference. However, the circuit also requires driver skill in order to navigate the car through the tight hairpins and corners, only centimeters from the barriers.
Ferrari will have a good chance of beating Mercedes in this race, although the teams are not evenly matched on engine performance. Luckily for the Italian team, handling is more vital in Monaco than pure power. Unfortunately, Kimi Räikkönen will be starting in a tough position after taking a grid place penalty for a gearbox change. His teammate, Sebastian Vettel, will have a bit of an easier time, as he starts alongside Lewis Hamilton on the second row of the grid.
The Mercs have failed to top the time sheets as much as we have become accustomed to this season, only topping the first session of the weekend. Hamilton has topped his teammate in all of the free practice sessions, but Nico Rosberg was able to grab second position from Hamilton in the qualifying sessions. Rosberg, a lifelong resident of Monaco, has had more success at the circuit, winning the last three races. In comparison, his teammate only has a single race victory in Monaco and it was back in 2008. Hamilton will be looking for a victory here to make up for the strange pit strategy that cost him the race victory last season and the accident with his teammate in Spain.
However, one driver has a great chance of winning the race: Daniel Ricciardo. Red Bull has done well this weekend, topping qualifying and free practice two. Max Verstappen will not have a chance of victory, as he starts from the rear of the grid after crashing during qualifying. On pole, Ricciardo may have a good chance. Because Monaco is not all about pure engine performance, the Red Bull cars have done really well at this circuit in the past and they will probably performance well here again.
At the end of the day, anything can and will happen during the race. Although it may not be the most exciting race of the season, every year gives us a special memory. This year’s could be Ricciardo’s second career victory; it could be Ferrari’s first 2016 victory or it could be Monaco victory number four for Rosberg. We won’t know until the checkered flag drops at the end of the race.
