F1 Monaco: Hamilton wins, Stroll 16th.
NOT THE GREATEST WEEKEND FOR RACING POINT STRUGGLING TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE
Not much action during the race apart from Charles Leclerc trying to make up positions after qualifying 15th. He did make a great pass on Grosjean at La Rascasse. But then tried the same pass on Hulkenberg and this time hit the inside wall with the rear as he turned in. He later retired form the race.
Hamilton sitting on pole and leading the race to the checkered flag had to keep his eyes in the mirrors as Max Verstappen kept the pressure for most of the race. Hamilton complained constantly about tire degradation but the team suggested to him to focus on keeping Verstappen behind. A late attempt by Verstappen under braking exiting the tunnel saw him collide with the side of Hamilton’s car, both escaping without damage.
As for Racing Point F1, it is a weekend to forget, having a hard time to find the right balance with their cars. Only managing a 17th(Perez) and 18th(Stroll) in qualifying, it was to be difficult for the race to gain much.
“It hasn’t been easy in the lead up to qualifying. We’ve been missing pace in practice and, even with the changes made to the car since Thursday, we still struggled today,” said Lance. “It wasn’t made easier by such a busy track in Q1 and finding space for a clean lap was difficult – it’s always the case in Monaco. I didn’t get a clean run on my second attempt and that ended any chance to make Q2.”
One consistency with Lance Stroll is the fact he is able to gain positions on the start. Monaco proved the fact as Stroll gained a couple of spots. By the checkered flag, the team had to settle for a 13th(Perez) and 16th(Stroll).
Lance Stroll adding: “It has been a challenging weekend for the team as a whole and unfortunately the race was just as tough. I made a good start and then we rolled the dice in terms of strategy by staying out under the safety car to get track position. After that it was a quiet race really. We suffered with graining on the tyres in the first stint and then during the second we were stuck in a bit of traffic. It wasn’t the weekend we wanted but we will regroup and comeback stronger for Canada in two weeks’ time.”
In the end, Hamilton won with Vettel and Bottas on the podium. Max Verstappen was added a 5-second penalty for unsafe release during the pit stop and ended up fourth.
Image: Racing Point F1
