Monaco GP: Lando Norris at the Pole of Pole from Charles Leclerca, but exposed to new rules to change the tire

Lando Norris will have a great opportunity to win his first Monaco Grand Prix while he starts on a half, but a new tire rule should be challenged by “chaos” in Sunday’s race.

Just five times in the last 21 years, the driver has started on a half that has not won the F1 ‘Jewel in the Crown’, and Norris will need to overcome home hero Charles Leclerca, Oscar -winning teammate Piastra and a question of two mandatory stops to avoid a short list of those who have not turned half into victory.

Following last year’s almost parade race when the Top 10 started and ended up in the same positions without any superiority, Fia announced in February that drivers would need to change tires at least twice.

The rule will increase the focus on the strategy and will probably force the drivers to push harder, adding the risk of drying and causing a safety car.

“I think there will be more opportunities for everyone. But that’s the case. That’s what Formula One did, just try to put more shows,” Norris said.

“Of course, in my position I probably disagree now with what was done. But I’m not the one who brings the rules, so we’ll see. But I think there are more opportunities for everyone, whether you start on the pier, or if you start the last.

“I think you can be more optimistic, which is great for you, it’s not that good for me. So let’s wait and see.”

Leclerc will ask to become the first driver of Nico Rosberg in 2015, which in recent years won the Grand Prix Monaco.

If he is up to Norris, Ferrari driver will have to decide whether to try to underestimate the sitter or go for a long time and wait for a safety car to reach a cheaper position. This will be a game of high speed that everyone will play all over the field.

“I think it will be a little chaos, but we will see how it is playing. I think there will be a lot of strategic games and we will see who will go out to the top,” Leclerc said.

“But I think we could be under the pressure of a car that we probably don’t expect from the back, which could do everything interesting.”

Many, many scenarios

The script list is endless, but the key will be without traffic after a pitting, and to avoid underestimating or overestimating.

This is almost an impossible task if you are not in the first few positions, and Tim Director McLaren Andrea Stella admits that the consequences of two obligatory stops are “much wider than we initially thought”.

“These implications are also added by a factor, which, depending on the front or you are in the back of the field, you can make significant different decisions,” Stella said.

“And then, as a function of red flags, safety cars, teamwork, we may see cars help each other in the same team. It can lead to very, very different scenarios.

“So, I think that a strategic meeting that actually happens during this media session will be longer than usual, because the scenarios that need to be taken into account are definitely much more than you usually think – not only in Monaco, but also in any other race we need to prepare.”

Will Piastra help Norris?

Piastra is 13 points ahead of Norris in the driver’s championship after seven rounds, but this advantage could be almost deleted if the British driver wins for the first time from the Australian Prix that opens the season.

One strategy that could be played are teams using another car to hold drivers who have just run into because it is very difficult to beat.

Ferrari can look for this strategy, for example, given that Leclerc is second and Lewis Hamilton will start seventh after his punishment with three places to interfere with Max Verstappen.

Piastra asked if he would help Norris to ensure that McLaren was winning the race and first joked his teammate, “How much will you pay me?

“I mean, I want to win the race too. So, let’s see what’s going on. I think it will be a pretty chaotic race, but we’ll see what’s going on.”

Stella added: “We will always try to make decisions and let the race go naturally, so our two drivers have their best opportunity to take their effect and their efforts.

“I don’t think we foresee a deviation from this natural evolution of the race, unless this is not a benefit to both of them.”

What will drivers on their back do?

It is expected that drivers moving towards the back of the field in the first round to get rid of one of their stops, so they have clean air and can underestimate several drivers.

The risk of this is a security car at the wrong time by favoring drivers who have not drank, but it’s a gambling that is worth taking, especially for the Mercedes duo George Russella in the 14th and Kimi Antonelli in 15th place after their torturous qualifications.

“I think you will see that half of the driver will go in one direction, half will go to another, so you can’t do much from this position,” Russell said Sky Sports F1.

“Two stops for Monaco are not normal, but two stops in many other races are very normal, so there will be no revelation.

“We were preparing from the front of the network. We didn’t have any strategic plans from P14 and P15. We are here now and that is not good.”

Sky Sports F1 -O’s Monaco schedule

Sunday 25 May
6.55 hours: F3 Race features
8.35pm: F2 Race features
12.30 pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP Building-up*
14:00: Grand Prix Monaco*
16:00: Plated flag: Monaco GP reaction
5:00 pm: Tad’s notebook
17:30: Indy 500

*Also live at the main event Sky Sports

Next in the European triple bandage F1 is “Jewel in the Crown”, Grand Prix Monaco this weekend, with a Sunday live race at 14:00 on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – No Treaty, cancel anytime

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