Mikhail Alyoshin's Column: Monaco Grand Prix

      Russian driver Mikhail Alyoshin shared his impressions of the Monaco Grand Prix with F1News.Ru…

      The race turned out to be extremely interesting, considering where it took place.

      Before Stroll became the legend of the race, it is worth noting the incredible pace of Antonelli, who brought more than 20 seconds to second place in the first 30 laps, before the pit stops began – this is very impressive. In general, it is amazing how much better the young Italian was able to adapt to the new car/regulations/driving strategy this year than everyone else.

      The first incident during the race involved Stroll, who slightly "brushed" the last corner, picked up some "debris" on the left front wheel, and went into the wall.

      Then there were numerous pit stops, some of which were not obvious. For example, in the case of Leclerc. He did not need to serve a penalty like Hamilton, and I saw no logical sense in this pit stop. Perhaps this was just a "Ferrari moment."

      What really surprised me was the departure for the safety car restart, with only three cars following it. In general, this is a gross violation of safety rules: a restart cannot be given until the safety car has gathered the entire field behind it for at least one lap before the intended restart.

      At the restart, Leclerc found himself in a similar accident to Stroll's. The thing is, besides the "debris" from the tires, there were small pieces of delaminated asphalt lying off the racing line, which further exacerbated the driver's mistake with a too-late turn of the steering wheel in that spot.

      Leclerc also drove on the dirty part of the track, trying to optimize his exit from the corner with a later turn of the wheel. Stroll had "cleaned" that part a bit, so there was not much dirt left on the wheel and road. That’s why Leclerc was able to turn more, but unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to make the corner.

      The race was then stopped because it was deemed that the condition of the asphalt in the last corner required inspection. The decision is ambiguous, as it is not very clear what options the organizers had? They definitely wouldn’t have been able to relay the asphalt.

      From my perspective, compared to the surfaces I sometimes had to race on at some tracks during my IndyCar days, this minor delamination of the asphalt in the last corner of the Monaco track is not a problem at all. The main thing is not to brush the corner to avoid hitting the debris left from the asphalt off the racing line.

      Then there was a restart. From a standstill. This is, of course, great for us, but in general, the grip of a Formula 1 car is designed for a limited number of race starts during a single weekend, specifically for one. I think that the departments of all teams responsible for the gearbox were "slightly" anxious at the announcement of the second standing start.

      The restart itself was clean. It is unclear how Hajar managed to lose two places. After the restart, Russell's pace raises questions, as he effectively held the entire field. But from a strategic standpoint, it makes sense in his situation: keep everyone behind, then accelerate and create a "accordion" effect, into which he could fit after going through the pit lane with fewer losses. I don’t think he violated any rules in this way.

      Indirectly, this may have contributed to the collision between Hülkenberg and Sainz, which caused Carlos to retire from the race with a broken suspension. But again, indirectly, because Nico could have calculated the dimensions of his car better, and the incident wouldn’t have happened.

      Congratulations to Antonelli on the victory, and to Hamilton and Hajar on the podium. I want to especially highlight Alonso's true victory, as earning a single point in a car that usually only allows you to finish in last place is a real victory.

      And, as has been discovered more than once, the Monaco Grand Prix, despite its complete hopelessness in terms of overtaking, can be more than interesting.