Event of the Day: Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix
Our event of the day is the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco in the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco. Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull Racing was the fastest on the streets of Monte Carlo and took the pole position with a record-breaking qualifying lap of 1:10.810 on Saturday. This is just the second pole by the Australian driver, his first came in Monaco as well, two seasons ago. The Red Bulls have dominated the weekend so far, being fastest in all free practices. However, Max Verstappen crashed his car in FP3 and the mechanics were unable to repair the gearbox in time for qualifiying so the Dutchman will start from the back of the grid.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel managed to get in front of the reigning champion Lewis Hamilton in the dying stages of Q3 and the four-time world champions will start from second and third position respectively. The other Ferrari is in fourth, also followed by a Mercedes, as the Finns Kimi Räikkönen and Valtteri Bottas are next on the grid. Both Force Indias reached the top ten again as Esteban Ocon clinched sixth spot while Sergio Pérez was ninth. In between them on the grid will be Fernando Alonso and Carlso Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso returned to Q3 thanks to Pierre Gasly who completes the top ten. Hamilton leads the driver standings with 95 points after two consecutive wins in Azerbaijan and Spain. Winner of the first two races, Vettel, is second with 78 points, followed by Bottas with 58. Räikkönen has 48 points and sits in fourth position, one more than Ricciardo, the sensational winner of the China GP in April, in fifth. We are set for a thrilling Monaco Grand Prix.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NBA Playoffs showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the TD Garden in Boston. Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals will decide the Conference champion and the participant of the NBA Finals. Both teams have won all three of their home matches in the series so far. In the Indian Premier League final game, the Chennai Super Kings go head-to-head with the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Chennai beat Hyderabad in their Qualifier 1 clash on Tuesday at the same venue, by two wickets. The 2018 Giro d’Italia comes to an end with a final 115km long flat stage finishing in Rome. In the MLB, the Pittsburgh Pirates come up against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. In the AFL, Hawthorn face the West Coast Eagles at Docklands Stadium. It’s Day 4 of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The 2018 French Open starts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris. It’s the fourth and final day of both, the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the PGA Tour’s Fort Worth Invitational at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. In Rugby there is a duel between England and the Barbarians at Twickenham.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Formula 1