2021 Monaco Grand Prix Result Review + Great and Grape

The latest installment of Monaco’s fanciest race of the season has been run and won by Max Verstappen, and he did it pretty easy in the end. Also easy was our 2021 Monaco Grand Prix Result Review + Great and Grape as nothing much happened.

Our review covers what happened in the race so you don’t to.

Stuff happened and we try and cover most of the stuff with our 2021 Monaco Grand Prix Result

2021 Monaco Grand Prix Result – 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. Normally it is five or ten, so you know it was a good race if there’s more than ten. 

We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football, but marginally more interesting.

Lap 0 –  Ferrari attempt to avoid a gearbox penalty from Charles Leclerc’s crash in qualifying by repairing the damage and not replacing the gearbox and grab a five spot grid penalty and lose pole. So they send out Leclerc anyway who radios in halfway around the lap in despair. He makes it to the pits but Ferrari fail to fix it in time to get back on the grid. And then the local boy gets out of the car making it look like he won’t even start at all. Well, at least he has the pole position. Leclerc has Webber-like luck at his home GP. And Mark Webber was never known for luck.

Lap 1 –  Max Verstappen converts his new pole position into race lead, despite pressure from Bottas. The top ten remain as is. The biggest loser from the start appears to be Daniel Ricciardo who lost a place, exactly what he needed after another underwhelming qualifying. Fernando Alonso the winner with three places gained.

ORDER – VER BOT SAI NOR GAS HAM VET PER GIO OCO

Lap 5 –  No changes just yet. Getting the Copy – Paste ready for that one. Although it is easy to pick on Monaco for being boring as. But only Monaco with the close barriers and scenery of a non Tilke track can get away with it. Verstappen has a 1.2 second lead over Bottas for the record. Hamilton is around 10 seconds behind Max already in sixth.

Lap 12 –  Max Verstappen setting fastest laps for his own amusement and maximum pain on Lewis Hamilton. Not much else happening behind him. Gap to Bottas nearly two seconds. The notable gaps down the field are Vettel 6.8 seconds behind Hamilton in 7th. Perez is first can behind Vettel and within a second or so.

ORDER – VER BOT SAI NOR GAS HAM VET PER GIO OCO

Lap 17 –  Radio excerpt from Mercedes to Bottas to make it sound like Bottas is going to do anything in second. Although he is maintaining the gap around two seconds. Sainz is just over two seconds behind Botta in third and Norris four second behind Sainz. Lewis Hamilton is 14 seconds behind Max.

Lap 19 –  Norris given Black and White flag for cutting the chicane. And replay of Lance Stroll doing the world’s most pissweak jump over the second swimming pool chicane. Which is action nonetheless.

Lap 25 –  Sainz closing on Bottas. Hamilton still 15 seconds behind Max. Not much else to report except for Mazepin has already been lapped in his Haas. Maybe pitstops soon?

ORDER – VER BOT SAI NOR GAS HAM VET PER GIO OCO

Lap 30 –  Lewis Hamilton pits and comes out behind Perez in 8th. But ends up still behind Pierre Gasly after the Alpha Tauri pits. Lewis is unimpressed. J

Lap 31 –  Bottas pits, and it’s a shocker. The right front wheel is stuck. And it ain’t coming off. Bottas is done. 

Lap 32 –  Sebastian Vettel comes out from his pitstop ahead of both Hamilton and Gasly. Although the TV coverage breaks away from the Gasly v Vettel blast up the hill to show Lance Stroll having another go at the second swimming pool chicane. Buffoons – Stroll and TV crew.

Lap 35 –  Max pits and ends up behind Perez who is now free to go fast and perhaps an unlikely Red Bull 1-2 is brewing. Perez pits a lap later and ends up 4th. The biggest winners/losers from the pitstops are Vettel/Hamilton. Ocon is up to eighth too. Looks like we’re going to have to put up with multiple radio message of Lewis Hamilton moaning for the rest of the race. The by-product of him not leading by 10 seconds for a change we guess.

ORDER – VER SAI NOR PER VET GAS HAM OCO STR RAI

Lap 43 –  Not much more has happened, except for the occasion Hamilton Radio Wah-Wah. Carlos Sainz is slowly closing on Max Verstappen, who is probably just toying with him.

Lap 57 –  The only real battle of interest in Hamilton v Gasly for sixth. Hamilton within a second but can’t get past. Giovinazzi is within a second of Ocon too in the battle for 9th.

ORDER – VER SAI NOR PER VET GAS HAM STR OCO GIO

Lap 64 –  Sainz has dropped back from Verstappen. Perez sets fastest lap on his way to the gearbox of Lando Norris. Giovinazzi still pressuring Ocon.

Lap 68  –  Lewis Hamilton takes on new tyres looking like he is after the bonus fastest lap point.

ORDER – VER SAI NOR PER VET GAS HAM STR OCO GIO

Lap 74 –  Footage of Serena Williams walking through the pitlane to wave the chequered flag. Let’s hope she can do a better job than Pele one year at the Brazilian GP who forgot to wave it as the winner crossed the line. Seeing her effort as the cars crossed the finish line, she’s a great tennis player.

Lap 78 –  Max Verstappen wins the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix after very solid drive at the front. 

FINAL ORDER – VER SAI NOR PER VET GAS HAM STR OCO GIO 

2021 Monaco Grand Prix Result – RACE RATING

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 – 8/10

Mercedes/Hamilton showing some faults and Max Verstappen and Red Bull take full advantage and the Championship lead. A faster than usual Ferrari may well be a Monaco Special but even so, it offers up a little bit of cat/pidgeon action for the season ahead.

ON TRACK ACTION – 1 /10

It’s Monaco in the dry. Not much more could be expected. Mostly because the on track action actually happened in the off track of the pits. At least the one-off McLaren livery looks nice.

ENDING 3 / 10

When your timezone is GMT – 10 staying awake to check the ending was always going to be a struggle. The race didn’t help stayin’ awake much, but as the race neared completion some battles drew closer. Especially Perez v Norris for third. And the obligatory race for fastest lap.

OVERALL RATING 12 / 30

Not the best on track action, but a lot of Championship interest coming out of the race. And it wasn’t a Mercedes wining for a change.

2021 SEASON RACE RANKINGS

Bahrain GP – 25/30

Emilia-Romagna GP – 17/30

Portuguese GP – 11/30

Spanish GP – 18/30

2021 Monaco Grand Prix Result – Great & Grape

Here we go through the field and highlight the three drivers we think deserve a little extra love, and one driver whose had the grapest weekend of all.

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 – MAX VERSTAPPEN

Handed pole position after Leclerc’s failure to start the race was a good a pre-race gift as you get. Had the race under control, while behind him the Mercedes were having a shicker and Perez provided more support than usual.

THE GREAT – CARLOS SAINZ

A Monaco podium in a Ferrari, and was quick all weekend. Even kept Verstappen honest after the pitstops.

THE GREAT – LANDO NORRIS

Another great weekend that ended in another podium. Better still he thrashed his team mate all weekend who looks unsure if he will find a way to beat him.

THE GREAT – SEBASTIAN VETTEL

Four time World Champion Vettel has looked anything but in the past season and a bit, but his drive at Monaco was a goodun’. Helped by gaining two place because of pitstop, he comfortably stayed ahead of sixth place Gasly.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Estaban Ocon – Another victory over Fernando Alonso in qualifying and a quietish race to the points.

Lance Stroll – Lance Stroll qualified 13th but somehow ended up 8th by lap 61. Decent effort and day out for Aston Martin for a chance.

THE GRAPE-EST – LEWIS HAMILTON

Qualified seventh, somehow lost two places after pitstops, lost World Championship lead to winner Max Verstappen. Yeah, you could say it was a grape weekend for Lewis Hamilton.

DIS-HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Daniel Ricciardo – Had his pants removed by Lando Norris all weekend, and losing a spot at the start didn’t help. Race underwhelmed too – lapped by his team mate always hurts. As does his team mate jumping to third in the World Championship.

Charles Leclerc – Would have been Grape-est of the race weekend but he can still claim a home pole position.

2021 Monaco Grand Prix Result – Power Rankings

Stay tuned for our Power Rankings from the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix and the overall 2021 F1 Season Power Rankings leader/s.

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