We’re still buzzing from the excitement of the Spanish GP here at Grand Prix 247. Despite their teammates not completing the race, both Hamilton and Vettel showed spectacular racing acumen from start to finish. And now, the Monaco Grand Prix is just around the corner and – based on what we’ve seen so far – it is sure to be spectacular.
Who will be the king of the Circuit de Monaco this year? Will Mercedes continue its Monaco GP streak? Here are our predictions for the 2017 Monaco GP.
Hamilton as the favourite
Monaco is considered one of the slowest tracks on the F1 calendar, but that doesn’t make it any less challenging. Rascasse has always been a tricky corner to conquer and this year’s regulations make carrying as much speed as possible out of the Grand Hotel Hairpin even more important. The characteristics of the Circuit de Monaco will force Formula 1 teams to maximise the use of downforce.
The high-downforce nature of the racetrack plays into the hands of Mercedes nicely. Mercedes’s aggressive wing configurations and the team’s ability to find that sweet weight distribution spot will make Mercedes very competitive this year. Unfortunately, they can’t rely too much on straight-line speed.
After a win in Spain – and a victory in Monaco last year – Hamilton is also the favourite driver to win this year’s Monaco Grand Prix. Winning in Monaco is special for F1 drivers, including Hamilton. Should he win this year’s race, he would be the third British driver to have won the Monaco GP three times.
Ferrari catching up
The Spanish Grand Prix showed just how far Ferrari has come. Their latest upgrade package added a new gear lever and clutch mechanism, which allowed Vettel to have a great start and get a jump on Hamilton into the first turn. Ferrari were also much faster than anticipated, particularly through the tight corners.
The last time Ferrari won in Monaco was in 2001, when Michael Schumacher dominated the race. A win this year would be special for the team, and they have the cars to do it. Vettel, on the other hand, won the 2011 Monaco GP with Red Bull-Renault.
The real battle will be during the qualifying. Monaco isn’t the best race track for overtaking, so Vettel – or Raikkonen – can snatch the Monaco GP victory right out of Mercedes’ hands by doing better in qualifying. You can catch the latest online betting offers to bank on this prediction without risking any of your real money if you check out the Freebets.com website. Vettel’s odds are very rewarding at the moment, and there are plenty of bookmakers that are offering free bets and promotions on the next GP race.
A packed mid-field
Monaco will also be particularly exciting for Formula 1 fans thanks to the mid-field teams. The latest upgrade package from Red Bull Racing brought the team much closer to Mercedes and Ferrari. Bottas and Raikkonen had failed to complete the Spanish GP, and it was Daniel Ricciardo who completed the top three in his RBR.
HAAS also showed tremendous progress with the team’s upgrade package. Sauber F1 banked their first point – four points to be exact – through Pascal Wehrlein. He finished P7 in the race, but was then downgraded to P8 after receiving a 5-second penalty. Wehrlein nursed his Sauber with only one pit stop, showing how reliable and easy on the tyres the car was.
There is one more treat waiting for Formula 1 fans in Monaco. Jenson Button will be driving the McLaren F1 car again in this race, taking the place of Fernando Alonso who will be racing in the Indy 500 event. It will be great to see Button back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, especially after the positive signs MCL32 showed throughout the Spanish GP.
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