Event of the Day: Monaco Grand Prix
Our event of the day is the Monaco Grand Prix, raced on the streets of Monte Carlo. The sixth race of the F1 season challenges racers with an intricate track on narrow streets. As they have done all season, the Mercedes drivers dominated proceedings and Lewis Hamilton will start in pole position, with teammate Valtteri Bottas behind him in second. Monaco is always an exhilarating race so be sure you don’t miss tomorrow’s action.
As the F1 season travels to the streets of Monte Carlo, Mercedes are settling in for what looks like a truly dominant season. Their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, are the only race winners through the first five races of the season. Hamilton, the defending F1 champion, holds a modest seven point lead over his Finnish teammate thanks to his wins in Bahrain, China and Spain. What had been dubbed Ferrari’s comeback season looks like a flight of fancy, with their drivers managing three podium finishes between them. Sebastian Vettel, and teammate Charles Leclerc, currently sit in fourth and fifth respectively in the standings, over 40 points behind the Mercedes pair. If they want to stand any chance of preventing Hamilton or Bottas from running away with the title, something needs to change and soon. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious events of the motorsport calendar. Multiple changes in elevation, the narrow streets and tight corners also make the race one of the season’s most challenging. Last year’s winner was Daniel Ricciardo, with Vettel and Hamilton taking the other podium spots. With Ricciardo currently 12th in the standings with two race retirements and one top-10 finish on the season, he is unlikely to be considered as a contender. Yesterday’s qualifying saw plenty of excitement. Leclerc was eliminated after the first qualifier, meaning he will start tomorrow’s race in 16th. What’s more, it was the lap time of his teammate that eliminated him as Ferrari showed questionable tactics. In the end, Hamilton was able to snatch pole position in a tight contest between himself, Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. After hitting the wall in the final moments, Vettel had to settle for 4th. One unique detail to look out for today will be the messages of tribute to Niki Lauda on the cars. Lauda, a three-time F1 champion and one of the sports’ best known figures, passed away earlier this week. Monaco is always a special race so be sure you don’t miss the action.
Honourable mentions around the globe go the IndyCar Series, as the 2019 season moves to their premier and most notable event - the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. At the 103rd edition of the iconic race, Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden holds an eight-point lead over defending National Champion Scott Dixon. However, neither of the two frontrunners will be starting at the front of the pack today. After an excellent qualifying round, Simon Pagenaud will start in pole position. Pagenaud is currently fourth in the overall standings but comes into the race having won the season’s most recent fixture- the IndyCar Grand Prix. The Indy 500 is an iconic race and one you won’t want to miss. Elsewhere, the first round of the French Open begins at Stade Roland Garros. A number of key figures are in action today. Men’s third seed Roger Federer begins the hunt for only his second French Open title against Lorenzo Sonego. Meanwhile, women’s second seed Karolína Plíšková opens her tournament against Madison Brengle. With a plethora of tennis to choose from today, be sure to tune in. The Giro d’Italia continues with stage 15 taking the riders from Ivrea to Como. The London Sevens conclude at Twickenham Stadium. The opening weekend of the WNBA concludes with the Las Vegas Aces hosting the Los Angeles Sparks at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Marathon de la Baie du Mont Saint-Michel takes places in Cancale, France. St Mirren host Dundee United at St Mirren Park in Paisley for the second leg of the Scottish Premiership play-offs.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Formula 1