2013 Monaco Grand Prix

I honestly believe that during these drought years, Lewis Hamilton has truly forged his character. There isn't a trace left of that arrogant, unlikable kid we saw back in 2007. (Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, still carries that same vibe, which makes it pretty obvious he could also use a few dry years to help build some actual personality.) Nowadays, I find Hamilton to be one of the most likable drivers on the grid. 🙏 🙏

This is true about Lewis, and honestly, it hits home for me too.

He’s still got this learning curve ahead of him. He’s joining as the big marketing face, so now he actually has to back that up on the track. Problem is, he isn't getting that special treatment he used to get at McLaren anymore. This is a whole new reality for him.

I don't doubt the results are coming, even if they're taking their sweet time. But when they finally arrive, we might actually get that epic showdown between Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, and Sebastian Vettel—assuming Adrian Newey can somehow pull off a miracle. 🙂

Michael Jackson10 said:Yeah, okay. So if he actually fixes just one part of the problem... then if he fixes the whole damn thing... and then, if the stars finally decide to align... are they just going to sit there and bitch while Mercedes is actually running? 🥳

Even on this Forum, these hypothetical scenarios where you isolate one person's progress from everyone else just don't fly.

Look, it’s all true and honestly kind of stings to admit, but Mercedes is absolutely killing their rear tires. That's their Achilles' heel right now. If they can actually fix that tire deg, it’s going to be a massive win for them—basically a total game changer.

They’ve got gears to spare, sure, but let's be real—that's a pretty questionable claim. Red Bull (and probably Ferrari too, if we're being honest) is basically throwing their qualifying setup out the window just to stop the tires from falling apart during the race.
Look, if they only swap out the rear tires during a pit stop, Red Bull isn't gaining a damn thing. Their whole struggle is that front tire degradation—it eats them alive. Meanwhile, Mercedes is going to walk away with a massive advantage over them.
Lotus and Ferrari aren't going to gain much from this either. They don't even struggle with rear tire degradation like the others do, so any potential advantage is basically negligible. Honestly, I highly doubt that even after they fix up those rear tires, it’ll actually result in saving a pit stop over the course of a race.

Bottom line? If they swap out all four tires, nobody actually gains an advantage. Everyone’s basically looking at the exact same level of improvement.
If they just swap out those rear tires, Mercedes becomes the big winner and Red Bull takes the hit. Period.
If they had only swapped the front tires, the whole script would've flipped. Mercedes would've been screwed, and Red Bull would’ve walked away with everything.

Michael Jackson10 said:Pirelli basically flushed their entire "exclusive supplier" marketing strategy down the toilet with how they're handling this. It’s a total waste. Everyone knows they're just doing whatever they're told, but honestly, the constant jokes about their logo are starting to cost them more than they realize.

I’d love to trick them into thinking the tire sets were programmed for a 50% race distance. That way, the teams that force pit stops just for show could cruise through the rest of the lap, while everyone else is busy messing around in the pits. I'd just slice right through the field with some aggressive driving.

Okay, this is officially ridiculous. You drive cautiously for ten laps, only to have the tires delaminate so badly that the entire tread just peels off in massive chunks. Then you're left bouncing around on nothing but air, limping your way back to the pits like an absolute joke. 🤦
What's next: a trip back in time where the driver hauls his own mechanics out with a jack and a wrench, runs on a set of Tiger tires, and just swaps them out whenever they blow?

These are supposed to be races for the fastest drivers in the best cars, but they’ve basically just neutered every aggressive driver on the grid. It’s all the same routine now: launch as hard as you can at the start, burn through a set of tires, and then just let the telemetry and the engineer run the show. Everything is calculated—the cheapest window for a pit stop, the exit order, the star alignment, even your zodiac sign. Every time a driver tries to make a move, they have to check with the pit wall to see if it's even allowed. Where's the actual racing in any of that?
It’s turned into an all-out strategy war between teams. Honestly, they might as well just run a simulation in some video game and broadcast the replay... or just install scooter brakes since they aren't allowed to touch the actual ones anyway. What difference does it make?

Complete decadence. It’s the twilight of Formula 1. The leaders aren't necessarily the best drivers anymore; they're just the guys who managed to baby their tires for a few extra laps....

Spot on...
Martin Brundle nailed it today: "This doesn't look like Formula 1 anymore; it looks more like the Pirelli formula."
And that's the core of the problem. When you think of Formula 1, your mind should go to the fastest drivers and cars, the most powerful engines, and elite aerodynamics... not just whatever car happens to eat its tires the least.

Beyond that, the whole thing is just pathetic.🤦
You've got a driver starting on pole in Monaco praying his tires don't fall apart just to have a fighting chance. You've got a Team Principal from a squad sitting in P1 or P2 in Monaco who won't even promise a win, let alone a double podium—he's barely confident in a top-three finish because he's too busy obsessing over tire degradation. And this is Monaco, where overtaking is basically a myth to begin with.🤦

darkmarlin16 said:Back in '96 when Olivier Panis pulled off that win.

I'm pretty sure only four cars actually finished all the laps.

Actually, just three...
If my memory serves, Heinz-el-Frentzen dropped out just one lap before the end, so he was technically a lap down...

William Bennett53 said:I honestly think Lewis has built some real character during these dry years. There’s zero trace of that arrogant, unlikeable kid from 2007. (Sebastian Vettel is still stuck in that phase so clearly a few years of results drought would do him some good for his personality too). Nowadays, Hamilton is actually one of the most likable guys on the grid. 🙏 🙏

😕
Arrogant? And he’s claiming it wasn't his fault he missed pole... kind of weird for an arrogant guy.
If he were truly arrogant, he’d be whining like, "blah blah, our car is a bucket, we aren't fast enough, they're miles ahead of us, their car is 3 seconds faster than ours, even though I drove a masterclass at 180%" and all that crap.☕

In fact, if anyone was being arrogant at the press conference, it was exclusively Hamilton.
He struggled with the car, blah blah... he didn't say "Nico Rosberg was better than me," he said the car is to blame, the setup is wrong, etc.
Pure garbage, nothing else.☕
And I'm just sitting here waiting for the British media to start bashing Rosberg because he keeps slapping around their "best" British driver in Formula 1...
Just waiting for those brilliant takes about how Mercedes is this German outfit and how they favor the German driver while sabotaging their golden boy, all while we watch a very concerned-looking Nico play along.

Meanwhile, arrogant Vettel didn't even try to make excuses, even though he could have easily blabbered about how Red Bull is too slow or how they had no chance.

You guys are being a little too hard on Lewis Hamilton... the kid is fully grown now, and honestly, he’s got plenty of reasons to be arrogant—besides, almost every legendary driver has that same streak in them. He's certainly not the first, and he won't be the last.

Richard Vaughn62 said:I think you guys are being a little too harsh on Lewis... he’s long past his growing pains stage, and honestly, there isn't any reason for him not to be a bit arrogant—most legendary drivers tend to carry themselves that way, after all. He's certainly not the first, nor the last.

If you ask me, a driver truly earns that "legendary" status by performing miracles in subpar cars—and frankly, I feel like Lewis was practically handed his spot on the podium thanks to a lucky hat and a whistle. I don't see what makes him so special as a driver; nothing out of the ordinary, especially when we see how much Nico Rosberg can outperform him.

It’s about time we broke one more tradition.
That whole idea that the Monaco Grand Prix always belongs to someone from the top three in qualifying.

Sure, the conditions are totally different from any other track, but then again, so is the vibe this season.
If someone outside the top three doesn't snatch it now, they never will.
The Mercedes drivers need to absolutely burn rubber; there's no other way.
My main concern, as usual, is how strong Red Bull Racing tends to be here in Monaco.
You don't see many major upgrades being rolled out at the start of the season.
So, if Fernando Alonso manages to jump Kimi Räikkönen right away, I'll eat my hat. If he doesn't, he's probably stuck.
As for the Red Bulls, we'll just have to wait and see if they can catch a lucky break.

Emily Patel64 said:Man, highlight of the day right there: Grosjean’s absolute madness during Qualifying 2. 🙏 Expert. 🙏🙏

Romain Grosjean... honestly, that guy is going to be the absolute death of my nerves. 🙂
Good grief. This guy manages to wreck his car twice in just three practice sessions—and he does it with such absolute confidence, too. He’s consistently fast and sitting right at the top of the charts, yet somehow, he can't keep the car on the asphalt. It's almost impressive how much chaos he brings to the table while being lightning quick.
Then you have the mechanics pulling off some miracle to bolt a car together in record time, the driver rolls out onto the track and absolutely flies through that opening stint. Honestly, he probably would’ve cruised right into the final round too, if he hadn't run into some unexpected traffic—I think he mentioned Daniel Ricciardo was the one getting in his way.

So, he hasn't made a single mistake all season up until this point in Monaco. He’s only dropped a couple of minor ones, but otherwise, he's been clean. Now, I just really hope to God he doesn't pull some amateur move at the start tomorrow. 😬
If he can just pull together one decent weekend without everything falling apart, he’ll finally show everyone exactly what he’s capable of. ☕

Emily Patel64 said:The highlight of the day has to be Romain Grosjean's charge into Q2 🙏 absolute legend 🙏🙏

I have to agree; what an aggressive, wild run to secure that lap time so quickly. Total respect. 🙏

Roger Wright94 said:It’s about time we killed off yet another tradition.
She thinks someone from the top three in qualifying is actually going to win Monaco. Give me a break.

If you actually look at the stats, the odds are basically zero. And once you see who’s sitting in those top three spots? Yeah, forget about it. It's looking pretty grim.
Nico Rosberg.
Winning would be a massive stretch even if Mercedes wasn't absolutely destroying their tires.
Nico Rosberg’s stats are actually pretty brutal—he’s dropping about 12 positions from his starting spot to the finish line, plus he’s already got two DNFs under his belt. He was solid last year and he's looking sharp right now, so I wouldn't rule out a podium finish, but let's be real: catching a win? Yeah, probably not happening.

2. - Lewis Hamilton
Yeah, right. As if!
He was incredible in Monaco, especially when things got messy with the weather. As far as track position goes, he only really lost ground back in 2012—dropped just two spots there—but looking at the big picture, he’s sitting at a net +11 positions in Monaco.
The only thing that actually makes sense to me is whatever's going on with the car at Virginia.

3. - Sebastian Vettel
He never actually lost his starting position in Monaco... though, okay, he did DNF once, so I guess you could technically count that as a loss too.
Compared to his other races there, he’s gained over 20 spots from his starting position on the grid. Honestly, that’s pretty impressive. Plus, he absolutely crushed it during that last rainy race.
Started 19th on the grid and fought all the way up to 5th—which is actually his worst finish in Monaco—and he even managed to lap Alonso in that Aston Martin. Honestly? It was freaking incredible watching that race again.😍
And he did all that on a track with constantly changing conditions, too. Considering yesterday's qualifying session was basically flawless, and it was his very first time racing in Monaco? Pretty impressive.
He’s got a shot if he can jump Hamilton right at the start. If he doesn't clear him in those first couple of laps, he's basically cooked.

4. - Webber's
His track record... he’s just always been a beast in Monaco.👍
Actually pretty interesting—he’s always hovering near the front when he actually finishes a race. Back in the day, he had a nasty habit of dropping out, but if he stays on track, he’s consistently gaining about 19 positions. Plus, he's already got two wins under his belt.
In the last five seasons plus seven, we’ve only lost one position, and even then, it was just by a single spot.
Honestly, if they could just nail the start for once, we might actually stand a chance.

If anyone besides those top three actually stands a chance, it’s Mark Webber—not that I expect any of you to be thrilled about that.😁

5. - Kimi Räikkönen
Well, that’s some pretty pathetic stats right there. Not exactly what anyone was expecting, I guess.😕
Looking at his entire career, he’s actually done alright... but over the last five seasons (well, technically just three races), he hasn't managed to hold onto a single position. He's sitting at a net loss of 9 positions. Not exactly winning much there.
Tires aside, I don't see him even standing a chance on the podium, let alone taking the win—even if he is one of my absolute favorites on the grid.
Since Red Bull and Mercedes are almost certainly going to pit twice, and given how he's been performing this season, it might actually be possible.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Anyone trying to gamble on a one-stop strategy is going to get absolutely wrecked. It could look pretty ugly once those final few laps roll around.
If anyone can pull off a one-stop strategy, it’s Kimi Räikkönen.👍

6. - Fernando Alonso
The Brits would probably call this a Dark Horse Race...
If things go sideways up front or if we get some total SC chaos because of the rain, he’s the one walking away with the Monaco win. Period.😳
He's been absolutely crushing it over the last five races—one massive win and only one where he actually lost ground, and honestly, that was just because the track conditions went sideways. If you look at the last four seasons, the guy's been on another level. 😳
I'm expecting him to jump ahead of Kimi Räikkönen right off the line, and if he manages to slice past Mark Webber immediately, he’s going to be a serious threat.
Now the real question: can Ferrari actually pull off a one-stop strategy in Monaco?🤷
My gut says no.😳 At least not at full race pace. If he somehow finds himself ahead of his teammate, he might hold them off—though we all saw what happened with Webber last year—but getting into that position is the hard part.
Bottom line: the start is everything here.

shadowhawk24 said:Romain Grosjean—man, that guy just gets under my skin like no one else. 🙂
Give me a break—this guy spins out twice during three practice sessions and still manages to drive like an absolute beast. He’s consistently fast and sitting right at the front of the pack, regardless of the chaos.
Then you've got these mechanics who somehow pull off a miracle by slapping a car together in record time—and then some guy rolls out onto the track and absolutely tears through the opening session like he’s on rails.He probably would’ve cruised right into the final if he hadn't run into some traffic—I think he mentioned that Daniel Ricciardo was the one getting in his way.

So, looking at the season so far, he hasn't really handed anyone a gift—not a single mistake until we hit Monaco. He managed to pick up a couple of errors along the way, but nothing catastrophic. Now, I’m just sitting here hoping he doesn't pull some reckless move right at the start tomorrow. 😬
If he can just finally pull off one decent weekend without everything falling apart—just one clean run to show what he's actually capable of—then we'll really see what he's made of.

Frank Collins85 said:I have to hand it to them—that was an absolutely wild move. To pull off a dive like that and still clock the fastest lap immediately after? You’ve got my respect. 🙏

I still need to test him. 🙏🙏

Yeah, well, Ricciardo had every right to be annoyed. In his later statement, he basically said he went up to him to ask what the deal was—you know, asking why he wasn't let through—only for Ricciardo to brush him off by claiming he didn't even see him. 🙄🤣

I mean, come on—how can you not love him? Seriously.
I honestly can't see any sign of Mark Webber lately—not even a hint of his design work or anything similar—and frankly, I'm feeling the exact same way about Fernando Alonso.
It’s honestly completely skewed—I mean, just look at yesterday. He went absolutely headfirst into the wall, no questions asked. 🤣 I mean, seriously—Lewis shouldn't be messing around like that. He’s asking for it if he keeps pushing his luck just to see how far he can go before things go sideways. 🤣

Remember when Mark Webber mentioned that once upon a time—I think he was just rambling on some forum—that they really ought to introduce a special starting procedure specifically for Romain Grosjean? Does anyone else actually recall him saying that? 😬

stormybadger8 said:🙂

I’ve got a gut feeling that both Kimi Räikkönen and Mark Webber are headed for the podium (just look at the forecast 😳)—so, I think we're actually on the same page this time 😁😁


(Plus there's the Nico Rosberg/Lewis Hamilton situation... I still can't quite call it—maybe Lewis might pull off a little magic move after all 😁)

Look, taking 1st and 2nd place means absolutely nothing if they haven't delivered something truly exceptional at Mercedes—which, from what I can see, they haven't. Honestly, they might as well finish without scoring any points at all. It doesn't matter how "unforgiving" Monaco is. If Fernando Alonso manages to just get past Kimi Räikkönen at the start (which isn't out of the question, provided they don't all line up under the SC), he’ll have a massive shot at overtaking Mark Webber on track—likely at the Swimming Pool if nothing else. As for Placko, if he can't keep it on the asphalt, he could easily lose it all in the pit lane.

So, what actually happened with Baby at the end there? Does anyone from the Ferrari camp know for sure? 😕

It looked like he hit some kind of blockage while things were unfolding, but they officially claimed it was all his own fault.
He looked absolutely drenched when he gave his statement afterward.
I honestly can't wrap my head around what he messed up. 😕

stormybadger8 said:😕
He’s acting all arrogant, claiming it was his own fault for not grabbing pole—which, honestly, feels pretty weird coming from someone with that kind of ego.
Given how arrogant they usually act, I honestly expected the usual whining—that pathetic "clucking" routine where they play the victim. You know the drill: "Oh, our car is a total bucket of bolts," or "We aren't fast enough," or "They’re miles ahead of us because their car is three seconds faster than ours," followed by some nonsense like, "But I personally drove a masterclass lap at 180% capacity." It's always the same tired, self-pitying garbage.☕

He isn't being arrogant—you're actually spot on here.

Alright, Berger. I explained.

😁

I’m honestly just sitting here waiting for the inevitable moment when the British media starts tearing into Nico Rosberg—you know, the guy who basically walked into their backyard and slapped the "best" British driver in Formula 1 right in the face.
I’m just sitting here waiting for all the "brilliant" takes about how the Mercedes crew is just a bunch of Germans who only care about their own and are actively sabotaging their golden boy—all while we get to enjoy the high-budget performance of a deeply concerned Nico Rosberg.

Since we’re already talking about weddings... 😳

I was just watching their qualifying session, and I have to say, I’m pretty blindsided by how much they're overlooking Mark Webber—it's actually kind of irritating. They aren't mentioning his performance at all, which is just plain wrong.

He was barely there—just a few flashes of decent, professional-looking pace that didn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things. Sure, he managed to scrape through into Qualifying 3 by the skin of his teeth at the very last second, but until that moment? It was like he wasn't even on the track. Just completely invisible. 😠🤣
And that’s just those two pros—who, for the record, I actually think are absolute legends. 😢So, people are actually sitting there dissecting the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself—instead of just listening to that crew led by Lauda, who seems to be way too busy handling the intros and the post-race commentary.

I don't know about you, but I’ve had just about enough of these whiny little brats. Honestly, it's getting exhausting watching people throw absolute tantrums every time things don't go exactly their way—it’s like being stuck in a room full of toddlers who think the world owes them a trophy just for showing up. It’s pathetic, really. 😢😢😢

Look, if they’re really itching for a fight—fine. If that's the kind of conflict they're looking to stir up, they'll get exactly what they asked for. No problem on my end.

Jerry Rogers6, I thought we agreed no fighting...🙂😁
Behave yourself, or I’m calling Marko to bring his toolkit over and have some fun with Webber's KERS 😬

Emily Patel64 said:Does anyone know what actually went down with Baby? I heard some rumors about a blockage during the incident, but the official word was that he messed up.😕

He looked absolutely soaked when he gave his interview.
I honestly can't wrap my head around what he botched.
😕

I don't get it... If you watch the slow-mo, you can clearly see him turn the wheel to the right, but the tires didn't follow. How on earth is that his fault? I'm lost.

Personally, I think a driver starting on the outside has a solid shot at making up at least one position right away.
So, I’m expecting Fernando Alonso to pull ahead of Kimi Räikkönen after the first corner, especially since Kimi isn't exactly known for being aggressive during those opening laps.
As for Mark Webber, he’ll handle his start the way Mark Webber does, so there's really nothing to worry about there.

Raymond Anderson4 said:I don't get it... looking at the slow-mo, he clearly turned the wheel right, but the tires didn't follow. How is that his fault? I have no clue.

He hit the brakes mid-corner, the car bottomed out, and both wheels locked up. It was driver error, though he got lucky that it was only two wheels locking instead of all four.