With a bit of luck, Verstappen was able to take the lead in the championship last weekend. This weekend he will try to defend that lead at the legendary Monaco GP. It may seem that the circuit is an advantage for the Monegasque Charles Leclerc. After all, he grew up on the streets that make up the circuit this weekend. But a victory is not self-evident on Sunday, let alone finish the race.
There seems to be a curse on Leclerc in Monaco. In his Formula 1 and Formula 2 career, he raced around the streets of the principality five times. Yet in all those races he did not finish once. A combination of mechanical problems and steering errors meant that Leclerc was always unlucky. This year he already drove the historic Ferrari F1 car of Niki Lauda on the Monaco circuit. Even then he ended up in the wall.
The 2022 Monaco GP would be a good time for Leclerc to break out of this disappointing streak. After a DNF in Spain, he cannot afford to finish with zero points again.
The weekend will be a little different this year than in previous years. Previously, the 1st and 2nd free practice were always on Thursday. This year, like any other GP, they will take place on Friday. F1 is doing this to create a shorter weekend in an already quite full calendar. The times of each session can be found in the schedule below.
What time does F1 start in Monaco?
Friday 27 May 2022
1st free practice: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
2nd free practice: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Saturday 28 May 2022
3rd free practice: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Qualification: 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Race: 3:00 PM
