George Russell, driving for Mercedes, is currently in the lead, followed by Max Verstappen from Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton, also from Mercedes.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner “didn’t really understand” how Mercedes went about trying to defend P5 from Max Verstappen in Monaco, branding their strategy “defeatist”.
A multi-car shunt on the opening lap, which included Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, triggered the red flags and a subsequent standing restart, creating the chance for drivers to go to the end on that set of tyres, which Mercedes did with George Russell on his medium tyres.
Christian Horner calls Mercedes Monaco strategy ‘defeatist’
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
Russell completed a 77-lap stint, deliberately reducing his speed while in P5 as Max Verstappen from Red Bull made a pit stop and quickly caught up to the back of the Mercedes. Afterwards, Russell accelerated significantly, finishing just five seconds behind Lando Norris from McLaren.
For the first time ever, Charles Leclerc from Ferrari emerged as the winner on his home turf, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz securing the other spots on the podium.
At the finish line, Verstappen trailed Russell by only half a second, leaving Horner bewildered by Mercedes’ strategy, labeling it as “extremely defeatist”.
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When asked by various media outlets, such as PlanetF1.com, if F1 2024 appears to be a more challenging season for Red Bull than initially anticipated, Horner agreed, saying, “Yes, I believe so.”
“I mean, maybe not with Mercedes, but I believe Ferrari and McLaren definitely appear competitive and should not be underestimated. Therefore, it’s going to be a lengthy championship, and today they have managed to secure a fair amount of points.”
“I couldn’t quite grasp Mercedes’ race today. George’s approach seemed excessively cautious, sacrificing a significant amount of time only to suddenly accelerate towards the end. However, it didn’t seem to align logically.”
“However, I believe that it wouldn’t have made a difference… They had no intention of surpassing anyone. It was simply a race filled with defeatism, solely focused on preserving their position in fifth.”
Russell would elaborate on the Mercedes strategy, stating that they had a good handle on the threat from Verstappen trailing behind.
“He informed Sky F1 that it was an arduous and peculiar race.”
“At first, the initial 30 laps felt quite leisurely, but when Max made a pit stop, I decided to pick up the pace a bit. It was only later that I realized how much ground we gained on the Ferraris and McLarens. I was genuinely delighted with that outcome.”
“Max certainly exerted some pressure on me, but I must say, it was quite manageable.”
When the red flag appeared, it was undoubtedly frustrating for everyone. It is in Monaco where a thrilling race is anticipated, spiced up by strategic moves. However, the red flag dashed those hopes, eliminating any strategy from the equation. Nonetheless, we managed to achieve the best possible outcome.
“I completed a total of 77 laps on a medium tire, and I must say I was quite pleased with the performance. Initially, the gap between the McLarens and me reached a significant 20 seconds, but gradually, I managed to reduce it to just six or five seconds towards the end. This remarkable endurance of the tire truly caught me by surprise.”
There are numerous positive aspects to highlight: the car’s performance is exceptional, the team is dedicated and enthusiastic about the upcoming race.
With his victory in Monaco, Leclerc has narrowed the gap in the Drivers’ Championship to Verstappen to just 31 points.
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