Last Updated on May 22 2025, 5:44 pm

As the memory of the most audacious move from Max Verstappen in Imola begins to fade, the sun is shining in the French Riviera as the Monaco Grand Prix is widely anticipated. The almost unbelievable overtake by Vertappen into turn one at the Emilia-Romagne Grand Prix surprised even the four times world champion himself.

When asked in Monaco had he watched back the start of the last race he replaced: “When I came home on Sunday, yes. But of course I already knew myself how it all felt, but it’s nice to look back and see how close it all was.”

Max had a poor start and even slipped into third place briefly, but so late was his braking that he clung on around the outside of pole sitter Oscar Piastri, and such was the ridiculous nature of the move along with making it stick, Verstappen admits in the moment he was forced to smile about.

 

 

 

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”I had to laugh for a moment,” he said, before revealing that it was his reaction in the actual moment itself, “No, not behind the television, but I actually had to laugh for a moment in Turn 3. I thought, ‘that one was good!'” 

Imola is a tough circuit on which to overtake and Monaco is even more tricky. For the first time in F1 history at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, the top ten starters finished exactly where they begun the race – and something needed to be done. Kicking and screaming certain F1 traditionalists in the paddock were forced into a concession which will see each car perform a mandatory two pit stops during the race on Sunday in an attempt to shuffle the pack during the race.

Since its inauguration in 2016, Red Bull have won the annual DHL pit stop award for being the best team the last seven consecutive seasons. Yet the loss of trackside director Jonathan Wheatley who is now the Sauber/Audi team principal appears to have affected their confidence in this area. Several dodgy tyre changes have taken place across the first seven races of the year, costing Verstappen a handful of vital points in his chase for a record equaling fifth consecutive F1 drivers’ championship.

There is further hope that Monaco this year will be more exciting than usual given the new Pirelli tyre which will feature across the weekend. Some F1 writers credit the last genuine overtake – not on lap one – in Monaco two be back in 1985 when when Michele Alboreto barged his way past Alain Prost into St. Devote. This only seeks to emphasise pit stops and ‘incidents’ account for the majority of position changes in Monaco.

Briatore slams Doohan

 

 

 

Pirelli new C6 comes into play

Last year matters came to a head when after a three car shunt on lap one, the entire field changed tyres under the subsequent red flag which resulted in a procession to the end of the race, with Charles Leclerc driving as slowly as possible to ensure his tyres made it to the chequered flag. “I think at one point we were going slower than Formula 2,” saidOscar Piastri, who finished second to Charles Leclerc.

For 2025 the new two stop rule is being enforced and Pirelli have high hopes for their new super soft C6 tyre, which debuted last weekend in Imola. Pirelli did introduce a ‘hypersoft’ tyre back in 2018 but the unintended consequence was that drivers tip toed around the lap until their stint on the tyre was over.

The new mandatory two pit stop rules should prevent this from being the case this year in the principality. Further, whilst around half a step softer than last year’s range of tyres, Pirelli have beefed up the construction of the year’s rubber to ensure it suffers less from thermal degradation. This also means the drivers can push on the C6 tyre on this relatively slow and low degradation track, which may create more incidents as they are being pushed to the limit of their powers.

Whilst the super soft C6 tyre was designed with Monaco in mind, it was considered that even this would not be enough to prevent a procession, hence the two stop mandatory rule being implemented. The debut of the C6 in Imola and the data Pirelli compiled from the weekend have meant F1’s tyre supplier believes the tyre will work elsewhere across the year.

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Pirelli set to miss a compound

Canada has now been confirmed as a venue for the C6 and scissions are taking place over whether to use it in Baku, Singapore and Mexico. However, the secret behind Pirelli’s high hopes for the C6 will be for the first time they will use tyre compounds not numbered adjacently.

“Looking at the result here [in Imola],” said Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra explained, “we can, let’s say, evaluate better if it’s too risky or not really. For example, for Singapore we are thinking about bringing the C6, and also starting to jump compounds.

“So for example, bringing C2, C4, C6 at some circuits to try something different, or C3, C4 and C6, to try to differentiate strategic approaches.” This idea is based on the concept that when the tyre offsets are large enough, it creates a speed differential even capable of defeating the longest DRS train.

Of course Pirelli have yet to prove the concept given they always bring a dry set of compounds which are adjacent in their numbering – C1, C2, C3 or C3, C4, C5. With increased jeopardy with the extra pit stop and the new super soft tyre which can be rum hard in one of the stints, Monaco will for definite be a more interesting Sunday this year and Lewis Hamilton’s race lap record set back in 2021 may finally be in danger. 1:12:909 is the time to beat.

Charles Leclerc drives Ferrari to McDonalds after another disaster

 

 

 

 

McLaren risk it all with team orders decision

Given the terrible nature of the RB21 car and the fact it already has done for a driver after just two Formula One race weekends in 2025, it is quite remarkable that Max Verstappen remains within a win of taking the lead in the drivers’ title race. Leading the battle is Oscar Piastri on 146 points, Lando Norris on 133 and Max Verstappen on 124.

Last time out in Imola the world champion closed the gap on the young Australian by ten points and his win for Red Bull was crucial if there was to be any hope of the elusive fifth consecutive F1 title. Had Piastri won and Max come third, the lead of 42 points many believed would be insurmountable.

However, if we adjust the different points system used in F1 over the years to reflect the current one in use, there are ten drivers in F1 history who have come back from 42 points or more behind. Max Verstappen himself did so in 2022 when he trailed Charles Leclerc by some 46 points come the early part of the European season…. READ MORE