Christian Horner ponders Formula 1
Words we never thought we’d hear Christian Horner, or just about anyone outside of Aston Martin utter: “Thank God for Lance Stroll!”
However, the team boss of Red Bull expressed gratitude that Lance Stroll managed to execute an on-track pass during the Monaco Grand Prix, which was uneventful and dull throughout the entire race.
Christian Horner: The only guy that managed to overtake in the race
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
Following the dramatic incident on the opening lap at the Monte Carlo street circuit, where Sergio Perez collided with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and was forced to retire, the race recommenced on lap 3. Max Verstappen, the only Red Bull driver left in the competition, positioned himself at P6 on the grid.
He initiated P6, recommenced P6, executed P6, made a pit stop to enter and exit from P6, and concluded in P6.
In fact, all the teams in the top ten positions on the grid maintained their positions and finished in the exact same order at the chequered flag.
However, going back even further, there was a single driver, Lance Stroll, who managed to execute multiple overtakes. Unfortunately, after making a pit stop, he encountered the misfortune of a puncture, causing him to plummet to the last position in the race.
After equipping a pair of soft tires, the Aston Martin driver surpassed Zhou Guanyu and subsequently overtook Logan Sargeant.
Ladies and gentlemen, to summarize the overtaking highlights of the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, there were only two passes.
Horner, including PlanetF1.com in the media, stated that he believes it is an issue that we should all examine together.
When you are driving around three or four seconds slower than the pace, it cannot be considered as a true race since the other car doesn’t have any opportunity to overtake.
“Monaco is an amazing destination for racing, however, with the current size of cars, it becomes crucial to explore possibilities of creating overtaking opportunities or at the very least, fostering the potential for overtakes. As it stands, the top 10 positions remain unchanged from the starting grid, without a single overtake throughout.”
“We must express gratitude to Lance Stroll, as he was the sole individual in the race who successfully executed an overtaking maneuver.”
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Verstappen, who secured a P6 finish sandwiched between the Mercedes drivers, engaged in light-hearted banter with George Russell, who claimed P5, as they brainstormed ideas to enhance the overall spectacle.
Verstappen expressed his disappointment, stating, “That was absolutely awful, incredibly boring!” He then playfully suggested the implementation of “five” mandatory pit stops or even a comical “mandatory nap” for the drivers. On the other hand, Russell jokingly proposed the idea of completing “one lap on foot.”
Regardless of the circumstances, Horner insists that action must be taken because the Monte Carlo street circuit does not cater to the current Formula 1 cars.
With a chuckle, he exclaimed, “Monaco never stops expanding its territory!” But then, his tone turned serious as he emphasized, “I truly believe Formula 1 as a whole should consider this matter, as Monaco is an extraordinary destination with a rich historical background.”
“But everything evolves.
In my opinion, cars have significantly increased in size over the past decade. When comparing them to cars from 10 years ago, they are nearly twice as large.
“We must collectively address the need for creating overtaking opportunities in our sport, and work with the promoter to determine how we can achieve this.”
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