Single-file Defence

The Monaco Grand Prix is among the most prestigious on the F1 calendar. This year the additional rule of two pit-stops being compulsory drove several teams towards a more defensive and unconventional strategy

- Report: Devashish Puranik

QUALIFYING IS AN important part of any race weekend, but during the Monaco Grand Prix, its importance cannot be stressed enough. This ultra-narrow and technical street circuit makes overtaking next to impossible, so what grid position each driver manages to secure during qualifying is more crucial than ever.

Qualifying began with Kimi Antonelli putting his Mercedes into the wall, followed by both Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) getting grid penalties for impeding Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) respectively. George Russell’s (Mercedes) car faced power loss issues during Q2 and had to be pushed out of the tunnel, resulting in a premature and disappointing conclusion to both Mercedes’ qualifying sessions.