Fantastic Fernando in MonacoFantastic Fernando in Monaco
2023 season
In an eventful Grand Prix affected by a late rain shower, Fernando secured the team's best result of the season to date with second place while Lance pulled off some spectacular overtakes on the tight and narrow streets.
The Debrief by Aramco
Hear from Fernando, Lance and Team Principal Mike Krack as they share their thoughts throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.
Need to know: Monaco
- Sectors
- Turns
- DRS
Fernando Alonso
"It's a bit of a home race for me in Monaco, so it's a short commute to the track! It's good to be back racing after the Grand Prix cancellation last weekend, but we hope everyone is safe in Italy and in the end it was the correct decision to not race that weekend.
"Monaco is a race we always look forward to as Formula One drivers. It's such a thrill to race around these streets, there is nothing quite like it. We are curious to see how the car performs on a low-speed circuit such as this. Making sure we nail the car set-up and getting into a rhythm early will be important.
"As overtaking is so difficult in Monaco, grid position is also going to be pivotal to the result on Sunday. If we can have a strong Saturday, that will set us up nicely for another good result this weekend."
Lance Stroll
"While we're looking forward to going racing again, I know the thoughts of the team continue to be with the people affected in the Emilia Romagna region. Imola is a track we love racing at, but the safety of all those involved always has to come first and we recognise that the correct decision was made to cancel the race.
"The Monaco Grand Prix is really special; a Grand Prix like no other. It requires full focus and full commitment, pushing you more over one lap than any other track on the calendar.
"There are no long straights – only tight and twisty streets – so there's not really time to think. You just have to trust your intuition. It's been said before, but it's a real privilege to race on a track with so much history and I have many great memories of epic Grands Prix here."
Insight and Speed
Unlocking the Lap
The lap opens with a short run to the first corner, Sainte Devote. The braking point at the end of the start-finish straight is difficult to judge, and the exit is key for the blast up the hill at Beau Rivage. It's not uncommon to see drivers who have misjudged the braking into this first corner take to the escape road. One of the heaviest braking zones on the circuit, coming at the end of the only DRS zone, Sainte Devote can present an overtaking opportunity but it has been notorious for collisions over the years.
After the famous Fairmont Hotel Hairpin is the tricky Portier section. This double right-hander is fiendishly tricky. The first part requires mounting the pavement for the best line, while the second requires a good exit for the run through the tunnel that follows. It can also be a passing zone if a driver can catch another off guard.
A good lap can very quickly go wrong at the Swimming Pool complex. The first part – a very fast left-right chicane, is one of the most spectacular places to watch a Formula One car. There is no breathing room before the second part – a slightly slower right-left, where it is easy to clip the barrier on entry, or the kerb on exit.
Powered by How
How do teams prepare for the Monaco Grand Prix?
At most circuits, teams aim to find the optimal balance between downforce and drag. At Monaco, with its abundance of slow corners and minimal straights, downforce is prioritised. Teams will run the highest wing angles and maximise driveability and traction where possible.
Despite it being the shortest race of the year in terms of distance, there are strains put on components. This namely comes through a lack of cooling for the likes of the brakes, due to the low speeds that the cars will be racing at, and the bumps can also require extra effort from the suspension.
The paddock and pitlane are compact, meaning that there is very little room for team members to manoeuvre during pitstops. Across the board, there are additional logistical challenges that need to be considered for the characteristics of this city location, necessitating collaboration with the other teams and local authorities. The garages are two storeys here due to the tight space, and there is not enough space for every available team truck.
Cloud Report
Monaco may be synonymous with sunshine and glamour, but the weather can change suddenly. Our Global Partner NetApp is a global hybrid cloud storage partner, with solutions that perform across a diverse environment allowing us to gain insights on weather-related data as well as telemetry data. Together, we explore how weather can affect track conditions this weekend.
The Monaco Grand Prix has regularly held a late-May date for much of its storied history, and the conditions can vary quite considerably. While the weather can become very hot, the lack of high-speed, high-energy sections at the circuit means that even in the hottest of conditions core tyre temperature can be managed without too much issue.
Cooler temperatures can change the dynamic of qualifying, which is pivotal to a successful weekend. Normally, it takes one warm-up lap to get tyres into the correct window, but on this very short and slow circuit it can take longer to prepare the Soft compound in qualifying.
If it rains, the most mentally demanding circuit on the calendar becomes even more of a challenge, and the concentration levels required to keep the car out of the walls increases considerably.
XPerience Points
In Formula One, you're constantly learning. Every lap, every mile, every second, is an opportunity to further your understanding and, ultimately, discover ways to unlock performance. In partnership with XP Inc., here are some of the key points for the Monaco Grand Prix.
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