Monaco GP: Lando Norris in pole position by Charles Leclerc but exposed to the new tire change rules | F1 News

Lando Norris will have a great opportunity to win his first Monaco Grand Prix while he begins on the post, but a new tire rule should cause the “chaos” in the Sunday race.

Five times in the past 21 years, the driver starting on the post has not won F1’s “Jewel in the Crown”, and Norris will have to overcome the hero of Maison Charles Leclerc, teammate Oscar Piastri and the question of two compulsory stops to avoid the short list of those who have not converted the post to victory.

After the almost processional race last year when the top 10 started and finished in the same positions without exceeding, the FIA ​​announced in February that drivers should change tires at least twice.

The rule will increase the emphasis on the strategy and will probably force the drivers to push stronger, which has increased the risk of crashing and causing a safety car.

“I think there will be more opportunities for everyone. But that’s how it is. This is what Formula 1 has done, it’s just trying to put more spectacle,” said Norris.

“Of course, in my position now, I probably do not agree with what has been done. But I am not the one who establishes the rules, so we will see. But I think there are more opportunities for everyone, whether you are starting to pole or if you start last.

“I think you can be more optimistic, which is great for you guys, not so good for me. So let’s wait and see.”

Leclerc will seek to become the first pilot from Nico Rosberg in 2015 to win the Monaco Grand Prix during the consecutive years.

If he follows Norris, the Ferrari driver will have to decide if he tries to undermine pole pole or go for a long time and wait for a security car to stop at the cheaper stand. It will be a high -speed game that everyone will play throughout the field.

“I think it’s going to be a bit of chaos but we will see how it goes. I think there will be a lot of strategy games, and we will see who gets closer,” said Leclerc.

“But I think we could be under pressure from the cars that we probably don’t expect from the back, which could make everything interesting.”

A lot, a lot of scenarios

The list of scenarios is infinite, but the key will be to stay away from traffic after the bites, while avoiding being underestimated or overwhelmed.

It is almost an impossible task if you are not in the few higher positions and that the director of the McLaren team Andrea Stella admits that the consequences of two compulsory judgments are “much wider than we thought initially”.

“These implications also add the factor which, depending on whether you are at the front or you are at the back of the field, you can make significantly different choices,” said Stella.

“And then, depending on the red flags, safety cars, teamwork, we can see cars help each other in the same team. This can lead to very, very different scenarios.

“So, I think that the strategy meeting that really occurs during this media session will be longer than usual because the scenarios to consider are certainly much more than what you consider normally – not only in Monaco, but in any other breed that we must prepare.”

Will Piastri help Norris?

Piastri is 13 points ahead of Norris in the pilot championship after seven laps, but this advantage could be almost wiped out if the British pilot wins for the first time since the Australian Grand Prix for the opening of the season.

A strategy that could be played is the teams that use the second car to hold the drivers who have just bied because it is very difficult to exceed.

Ferrari can turn to this strategy option, for example, since Leclerc is second and Lewis Hamilton will start seventh after his three -seater grid penalty for hampering Max Verstappen.

We asked Piastri if he would help Norris make sure that McLaren wins the race and first joked his teammate: “How much are you going to pay me?

“I mean, I also want to win the race. So let’s see what’s going on. I think it’s going to be a fairly chaotic race, but we will see what’s going on.”

Stella added: “We will always try to make decisions and let the race take place naturally, so that our two pilots have their best opportunity to capitalize on their performance and their efforts.

“I think we are not planning any difference compared to this natural evolution of the breed, unless it is an advantage for both.”

What will the drivers do at the back?

We expect the drivers who start backwards of the field to get rid of one of their stops on stand, so that they have clean air and can undermine several drivers.

The risk with this is a safety car at the wrong time will promote drivers who have not opposed it, but it is a bet that is worth it, especially for the Mercedes duo of George Russell in 14th and Kimi Antonelli in 15th after their glow.

“I think you will see half of the drivers will go in one direction, half will go in the other, so you cannot do much from this position,” said Russell Sky Sports F1.

“Two stops on stand for Monaco are not normal, but two stops on stand in many other races are very normal, so there will be no revelations.

“We were preparing for a few positions of grid before. We had no strategy plan of P14 and P15. We are here now and it’s not good.”

Sky Sports F1 GP schedule

Sunday May 25
6:55 am: F3 Race Feature Race
8:35 am: F2 functionality breed
12:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP Build-Up *
2 p.m.: The Monaco Grand Prix *
4 p.m.: Checkered flag: Monaco GP reaction
5 p.m.: Ted’s notebook
5.30 p.m.: Indy 500

* Live on the main event of Sky Sports

The next step in the European triple head of F1 is the “Jewel in the Crown”, the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, with the Sunday race live at 2 p.m. on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – no contract, cancel at any time