2030 or perhaps 2031 can’t come soon enough for F1

 

FIA is certainly closing the gap to Indycar's "spec series".

 

Season started with me longing for F1, but not wanting to buy more TV subscriptions.
I'm getting over it.
Indycar from Detroit this weekend!

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ho...o-gp/10825365/

 

 

The new generation cars over a certain speed accelerate much quicker than the last generation, and with the Monaco layout it seems that the cars will always have battery power available since the ability for regeneration is high, so I guess this reduction in electrical power production and the restriction on active aero is to try and ensure that there isn’t complete carnage on the circuit.

I think that overall speeds will remain the same as previous years. Guess we’ll see next week! 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

Monaco
The 6th Grand Prix, and here we are in one of the most beautiful settings, where luxury, indulgence, and jet-setters mingle—but also sarcasm, thanks to its legendary processions. Remember Zozo? We must recall Nelson Piquet’s famous words: “Monaco is like riding a bike in your living room!” Are today’s F1 cars still suited to this circuit, which is impossible to extend or modify?

The Track


You have to have driven through the streets of la Principauté at least once to get an idea of what awaits these drivers starting Friday: Sainte Dévote, where the F1s risk piling up, just like in the Beau Rivage turn, the very steep climb toward the Casino, the Fairmont turn (formerly Loews, formerly Epingle du Grand Hôtel) 45km/h max, the entrance to the Tunnel with the transition from daylight to artificial lighting and the exit with a massive braking maneuver and blinding sunlight, the Rascasse corner where the rail is close by, all on a bumpy track dotted with multiple manhole covers that send your suspension jarring against your back and ribs—enough to make you lose your dentures at the speed these men are tearing through!

It’s a track that rewards self-confidence and precision, but one that doesn’t hesitate to punish the slightest error or the tiniest lapse in concentration—just ask Senna, leading a GP, who let himself get distracted by Prost in P2, who was beating his lap records.

At 3,337 meters, the shortest track on the calendar is also the longest in terms of race duration.


Forces at work and stakes
Merco will undeniably be the team to beat with five consecutive wins, and Kimi A. will be under intense pressure from Russy, who must be starting to have doubts and who didn’t expect such high potential to materialize so quickly: a 43-point gap already! But the supremacy of the shining star above Stuttgart’s train station could fade a bit, as the dominance of its power unit won’t be an asset here: the energy balance is reversed—regenerative braking and the MGU-K will recover more energy than is needed to activate the various boost modes. Furthermore, MGU-K power will be limited above 200 km/h, and straight mode will be prohibited here. Between the deactivation of active aerodynamics and the track’s mechanical challenges, the red team will be in a better position.

And so Féfé could spring a surprise, as the SF-26’s smaller turbo could prove to be a real advantage for the Scuderia in the Principality; moreover, the SF-26 excels in slow corners and has excellent traction. McLaren will hope to demonstrate what it is capable of—without strategic errors or any other issues—by bringing a gearbox with slightly shorter gear ratios. This technical choice favors raw acceleration at low speeds, where time is gained between Sainte-Dévote and the Fairmont hairpin, as well as the testing of a new front wing during FP.


The Grande Canette could spring a surprise, as could the midfield teams, who may capitalize on the tight margins at the Monte Carlo circuit. But setting a fast lap in Monaco means tackling the kerbs, and that is precisely what RBR fears; they haven’t yet found a solution to conquer the kerb fortress—will they have found the answer in Milton Keynes? Max is starting to complain about his back.

There’s a duel between Kimi and Russy, but also between Ham and Leclerc, who considers this his home turf. Having been struck by bad luck here so often, he wants to take his revenge on Ham, who’s closed the gap to just 3 points. It seems he was very frustrated by Ham’s P2 finish in Montreal. In the meantime, today, he has re-signed for several years at Maranello and has no intention of leaving. Will he one day be rewarded with a WDC title at Féfé ?

There’s also a battle between Piastri and Nono! At Alpine, the fifth-strongest team on the grid, Colapinto seems to be gaining the upper hand over Gasly, who has been plagued by issues that Alpine hasn’t been able to resolve since the two Grand Prix races in the New World. This could mark the beginning of a shift in the internal dynamics of the top teams—excluding RBR, of course.

The tyres

An important development—one that the FIA has all but ignored—will be crucial this weekend: the rule requiring two mandatory pit stops in 2025 has been scrapped, as it didn’t bring anything new to the table.

Unsurprisingly, Pirelli will bring its softest compound range: C3, C4, and C5. Tyre degradation is minimal here, and graining is virtually nonexistent, even though some sections have recently been resurfaced—but this will have very little impact, as abrasion is negligible. The surprise may come from strategic uncertainty in the event of race incidents, such as Safety Car and red flag management; all of this could significantly affect—or even completely alter—the pole sitter’s race.

Weather
No need for concern or hope for the teams waiting for rain—good weather is guaranteed all weekend. The only thing to note is the wind, but if rain were to show up, the forecast indicates that it would only affect the Portier turn and the famous T6 Fairmont airpin.