The F1 is at Monaco, the most prestigious Grand Prix of the season this weekend. Well, for now anyways as the F1 bosses debate whether they should go back. Talking of weather, more on that soon. Talking of prestigious, our 2022 Monaco Grand Prix Results, Lap by Lap, Review & Summary is here to hopefully live up to the Monaco hype.
Our review covers what happened in the race so you don’t have to in the laps that matter. Plus we throw in our Race Ratings, the Best (Great) and Worst (Grape) drivers of the race weekend.
The perfect bite sized review for those who couldn’t be bothered, or don’t have enough time.
2022 Monaco Grand Prix Results, Lap by Lap, Review & Summary gives you just enough to catch up with.
And why not check out our Spanish Grand Prix Power Rankings which highlight our driver of the season so far and the last race.
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2022 Monaco Grand Prix Results
THE LAPS THAT MATTERED
Didn’t see the race live? Don’t have time to watch the whole race? Well here are the top laps where stuff happened. We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football, but marginally more interesting.
Setting the Scene – Apologies, it’s a long scene setter. A lot of stuff happened before the start.
It’s the Monaco Grand Prix – the cliched race – probably overhyped for what the race is usually like. Much like New Year’s Eve gets talked up as a great drinking night out and often is way too crowded and disappoints.
Charles Leclerc has dominated the race weekend so far, but there’s a few spots of rain as Martin Brundle does another unfortunate Gridwalk, and clouds closing in. In fact, umbrellas and ponchos are going on just as the cars are ready to leave the grid. It will be a slightly wet track but not raining. Joy of joys.
But to confuse things, instead of the race starting on time and all cars starting on the intermediate wet tyres, the start is delayed to 3:09pm local time. So an obvious intermediate tyre start is now a choice between that and slicks, although more rain is predicted a few laps into the race. Chaos. Love it.
But now the F1 stewards have decided to start the race behind the safety car. What a pissweak cop out by the F1 bosses. These are the best drivers in the world, let them have a go.
Even worse, the race is now officially delayed with no start time offered. What? Are they waiting for the track to completely dry. So what was going to be an exciting wet track but not raining start is now a sanitised piece of shit.
Now it is raining. Well done. Instead of a few dry laps and potential tyre decision chaos and fun, it will be the Safety Car acting as the party pooper.
Seems the F1 bosses have thought to themselves that people expected this to be the most boring race of the year, so they are working things to ensure this is as boring as possible.
Everyone, except Charles Leclerc and his fans and the F1 bosses will be praying for plenty more rain. Maybe Netflix told them not to start. Shame.
TOP 10 GRID – LEC SAI PER VER NOR RUS ALO HAM VET OCO
Lap 0 – So the race starts under the safety car. With these laps called Formation laps and not counting to the 78 laps that the race is meant to be. How many “Formation Laps” are there going to be? How is the race going to start? Who knows. Wonder if they do 20 Formation Laps that aren’t counted whether they will have enough fuel when they actually need to start the 78 laps.
But is it really raining now. What a shame they didn’t start this on time. Clowns.
Hang on a minute, out goes the Red Flag. Bloody hell, now the race is completely stopped and they head back into the pits. It is pretty wet, and it may have been red flagged by now. But who knows, this race may not even happen.
It’s all good and well for European and American viewers to delay, as it creeps closer to prime time, but what about western Pacific fans. It’s approaching midnight in Australia and who knows when this bloody race will start. Or finish.
It’s 45 minutes past the race start, and it doesn’t appear to be raining, but looks gloomy. And there’s no sign of activity to show that this race is going to start soon. So we’re treated to a host of pictures of various F1 personnel and various celebrities that we’re sure are great and important but have no idea who they are, and don’t care. Start the race, jerks. It is becoming a sizeable farce.
10 minute warning for the start procedure to begin has been issued at 3:55pm local time. But not sure how the race will start and what will happen.
OK, so it will start behind the Safety Car, and this time the laps will count towards the 78 total. That’s good, no need to drag this race out any longer than needed.
Lap 1 – The cars start behind the safety car and on full wet tyres. Wonder if someone will bin it behind the safety car.
Can’t believe within ten seconds of typing that F1’s weakest driver goes straight on at the hairpin at walking pace. Nicholas Latifi for the record.
To ruin the Canadian F1 weekend, Lance Stroll pits for a puncture. From behind the Safety Car.
Informed on lap 2 that the race will restart with a rolling start.
Lap 3 – SAFETY CAR LEAVES – RACE IS ON
Charles Leclerc leads the field into the first corner and good luck seeing any car behind. The top of the grid all make it through safely with no incident. Meanwhile further back a lot of back markers are making tyre changes already. Who knows if there is inspired strategy coming from the back.
The highlight is Pierre Gasly on intermediate tyres, which should prove interesting as the most competent driver changing tyres..
No change in the top ten drivers at all. All of them driving pretty conservative so far. Leclerc opens up a two seconds lead on Sainz in second. Surely this behaving and competence can’t last too much longeron this wet track.
ORDER – LEC SAI PER VER NOR RUS ALO HAM VET OCO
Lap 5 – Call over the radio to one of the drivers to say no more rain for 30 minutes. It’s all good, the track is wet enough for now. Not quite dry enough for the drivers who switched tyres.
Lap 6 – First position change in the top ten as Ocon passes Sebastian Vettel for ninth. Didn’t see it, so can’t tell you how it happened. But Vettel decides to put for Intermediate tyres just as Pierre Gasly sets fastest lap. Gasly’s team mate Tsunoda has pitted too. That will increase the chance of him running into something.
Lap 8 – Leclerc leads Sainz by three seconds, with just over a second between the next few cars and five seconds further back to best of the rest entrant Lando Norris in fifth place.
ORDER – LEC SAI PER VER NOR RUS ALO HAM OCO BOT
Lap 9 – For those wondering about the fallen heroes for 2022 – Lewis Hamilton remains 8th and three seconds behind 7th placed Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo is 12th and three seconds behind 11th place Kevin Magnussen with Albon’s Williams just a second behind. Tough season/s.
Lap 12 – Pierre Gasly overtakes Guanyu Zhou going into the Mirabeau corner for 13th. His early move to Intermediate tyres not quite working out, as it is hard work overtaking despite being quicker. The track is looking a lot drier. A lap later Ricciardo nearly loses it in front of Gasly and is under pressure and eventually overtaken around the Swimming Pool on lap 14.
Lap 15 – With the track drying the question is now does a driver pit for Intermediate tyres now, or wait a little longer for dry tyres.
Lap 16 – Lewis Hamilton becomes the first front runner to pit for Intermediate tyres. Sergio Perez does so a lap later. Probably doing a Reconnaissance Mission for his team mate Max Verstappen. Who knows, if Sergio does a good job, he’ll have to pleasure of moving over for his team mate.
Lap 18 – Sun is shining now making tyre choice all the harder. Norris pits for Inters. Ocon chops off Lewis Hamilton at the first corner St Devote and they clash. Both car continue for now. Ocon gets a five second penalty for this later, and loses Chamionship points because of it.
Lap 19 – Leclerc and Verstappen pit for Inters. These two have now fallen behind Sergio Perez who pitted on Lap 17 for Inters and is flying. Carlos Sainz stays out and has already had his race compromised and has to stay and wait for dry tyres. Further back, Mick Schumacher has pit for dry tyres, so has Alex Albon. Interesting that is then. Something you don’t normally apply to either driver.
ORDER – SAI PER LEC VER RUS ALO NOR OCO HAM BOT
Lap 21 – Max Verstappen sets fastest lap, a full three seconds faster than Charles Leclerc on the most recent lap.
Lap 22 – Race leader Carlos Sainz pits for dry tyres, and surprisingly so does Charles Leclerc too right behind him. So that gives Sainz the lead over Leclerc in the Ferrari battle.
Lap 23 – Sergio Perez pits for dry tyres, and Max Verstappen does too as they double stack as well. Perez comes out first ahead of Carlos Sainz as he exits the pits. Max Verstappen also gets out just ahead of Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver completely trumped now, going from easy race leader to fourth. And he is very unhappy about it.
Perez and Sainz come across some squabbling back markers and Sainz nearly bins it into the wall. Some kind of feat not to. Worth a watch.
The stewards look at whether Verstappen crossed the pit lane exit line before getting in front of Leclerc. Nothing to see here is the call.
ORDER – PER SAI VER LEC RUS NOR ALO HAM OCO STR
Lap 26 – In a 2022 season first, Mercedes appear to be really quick right now. George Russell is catching the top four cars who are just covered by less than four seconds now.
Lap 27 – HUGE ACCIDENT!!!
Mick Schumacher has crashed so hard at the exit of the Swimming Pool that the back end of his Haas car has been detached. Much like a pantomime horse where the person in the arse end has given up and walked away. The driver for the record is OK. It could be another Red Flag, great.
SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
Amusement as the Marshalls remove the back end of the car which is basically two wheels and a rear wing.
RED FLAG AGAIN
Red flag is shown again, and the race stops again. This time to fix the barrier which is fair enough on safety front. Bloody hell though. it is two hours since the race was meant to start and we’re only on lap 30. We’d have a nap if we could trust if/when the F1 stewards will restart this race.
Race to restart at 5:15pm local time and will be a rolling start.
ORDER – PER SAI VER LEC RUS NOR ALO HAM OCO BOT
Lap 30 – Race starts under the Safety Car. It buggers off after lap 32.
Lap 33 – RACING RESUMES
Perez leads the restarts well but locks up massively half a lap later but saves it. Not much happening elsewhere in the top ten or anywhere else as the drivers take it easy.
Lap 35 – The timing screen has moved from laps remaining to time left before the 2 Hour race window limit is met. Looks like we’ll have to change lap summary then.
32 mins to go – Top four are all covered by four seconds. All with similar pace. Which is timely as the DRS is enabled. DRS being a dry race saviour that lets cars overtake easier.
29 mins to go – Nice battle between two drivers with nine World Championships between them. Fernando Alonso just hanging on in front of Lewis Hamilton for 7th. Better do an order before this changes.
ORDER – PER SAI VER LEC RUS NOR ALO HAM OCO BOT
20 mins to go – Carlos Sainz goes straight on at the chicane, and Max Verstappen dobs him in. Nothing happened from the stewards but it shows the pressure Sainz is under. He hasn’t done overly well under pressure this season.
16 mins to go – Zhou fishtails braking into the chicane and somehow saves in and doesn’t run into Yuki Tsunoda who was alongside. Also worth a watch.
12 mins to go – Sainz is now less than second to leader Sergio Perez, and Max Verstappen too is gaining and within a second to Sainz. Leclerc is also just a second away from the car in front. Three seconds covers the top four. We are in for a great finish.
7 mins to go – Perez’s tyres are looking worse by the lap, and Sainz is right on his tail. As is Max on Carlos’ rear wing. It’s so close, will someone make a mistake?
5 mins to go – The top four are still glued together, and they are coming up to lapped cars which should make it really interesting. First back marker moved out of the way nicely.
3 mins to go – For a second lap in a row Carlos Sainz nearly runs up the back of Sergio Perez at the hairpin.
1 min to go – Perez has handled himself well now, so surely he will hang on from here.
Last Lap – Time has run out so it’s one lap to go and Perez has edged ahead a little, which should be and is enough to win the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz good enough for second place ahead of Max Verstappen who will be happy-ish with a podium and a finish in front of Championship rival Charles Leclerc, who has every right to be grumpy.
FINAL ORDER – PER SAI VER LEC RUS NOR ALO HAM BOT VET
2022 Monaco Grand Prix Results
RACE RATING
Was it a good race, loads of action, tense, or just a big, fat, snooze-fest.
We rate the big race itself so we know which races to go back and watch in the off season or one to simply remember the winner for the post season quiz nights.
SEASON IMPORTANCE – 7 / 10
Qualifying pace pointed to a dominant Ferrari which could be a season sign, but the race and the rain came to ruin their party. One season pointer is the emergence of Sergio Perez as a genuine front runner. Could be a spanner in the works and add an extra edge to the Championship. Probably not.
ON TRACK ACTION – 8 /10
In fairness there was even more action (of lack of it) off the track. But nothing like rain at Monaco to spice up life. It increased overtaking and potential drivers, along with tyre strategies. Not a great deal of overtaking, but is was greater than zero, which is well above the usual average at Monaco.
ENDING 9 / 10
The top four bunched up with about 15 minutes to go and the battle became nose to tail as the laps wore on. Never seen a closer top four at this stage of the race without a safety car in front of them. All Championship contending cars.
OVERALL RATING 24 / 30
It was a much better Monaco Grand Prix than usual in the dry, but the F1 stewards really did make a meal of the first start. It could have been an absolute classic, yet instead we waited nearly an hour for some proper action. Not that looking at weather radars and celebrities isn’t great. But the on track stuff was eventually fascinating as Red Bull outsmarted Ferrari and Charles Leclerc was left disappointed at his home race again. The top four battle at the end finished the race off on a high.
2022 SEASON RATINGS SO FAR
Want to know what we thought of previous races? Or which ones to to back and watch?
R1 Bahrain Grand Prix 26/30
R2 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 21/30
R3 Australian Grand Prix 16/30
R4 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix 17/30
R5 Miami Grand Prix 19/30
R6 Spanish Grand Prix 17/30
Season Average – 19.3 / 30
2022 Monaco Grand Prix Results
GREAT & GRAPE OF THE RACE
Here we go through the field and highlight the very best (Great) of the race, and the plodders, the over-ambitious, the out of luck, and simply hopeless (Grape).
These points get added to our Driver of the Season scores. Five points for a great nomination, and -5 for the worst or grapest driver in the pack. Then it is +2 /-2 for honourable or dishonourable mentions.
It used to be called the good, bad and ugly, but everyone is using that now. And who doesn’t like grapes.
THE GREAT-EST – SERGIO PEREZ
An impressive weekend from the Mexican. Been on the pace or faster than Max Verstappen for most of the weekend, and drove a great race with the best strategy to claim a maiden win in Monaco. All the above making up for throwing his car into a wall in qualifying.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
CARLOS SAINZ – A good weekend that he needed badly. Second on the grid was a little meh, much like his little crash into Perez in qualifying. But he did well to hold onto the lead for long enough to get onto dry tyres at the right time, and held onto second after the pit stops.
LANDO NORRIS – Another great weekend for the McLaren driver. Thrashed his team mate again and was best of the non big three teams yet again. A race win is surely coming.
GEORGE RUSSELL – Like Lando Norris is easily seeing off his team mate this weekend, and he was nipping at the heels of the two Ferraris and Red Bulls.
THE GRAPE-EST – FIA STEWARDS
For the farcical way the start of this grand prix was handled.
DIS-HONOURABLE MENTIONS
CHARLES LECLERC – Trumped by tyre calls and luck, he had a comfortable lead turned into a fourth place by the time of the mid race Red Flag. And he dropped off the pace in the second half of the race. He has every right to be grumpy.
DANIEL RICCIARDO – It started out so promising. Quick on the Friday and a match for his team mate. Then came the crash that wrote off his chances of a decent starting grid position due to lost time. Then he was almost invisible in the race, creating a modern day Trulli train. Pitted earlier than most for dry tyres yet ended up in the same position.
MICK SCHUMACHER – Wrote off his Haas car with a nasty crash. That also brought out another red flag and extended this already way-too-long Grand Prix.
NICHOLAS LATIFI – Monaco really does allow one to see just how much difference a good driver makes at this special circuit. Latifi is a pay driver who proved the opposite this weekend.
2022 F1 Season Power Rankings
Stay tuned for our Power Rankings from the race soon as it is currently being calculated.
