Three-time Formula 1 world champion from Red Bull, Max Verstappen, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, describing it as “a bit uninteresting”. Despite winning five of the previous seven races this season, Verstappen started and finished in sixth place, resulting in his championship lead over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc being reduced from 48 points to 31. This was the first race of the season where Verstappen did not secure a spot on the podium, as he retired in Australia due to a brake issue after just three laps. Verstappen acknowledged the overall appeal of the weekend but expressed his desire for more exciting races. He stated: “If we can find a way to have better races, why not? That would be my preferred solution.”
The top 10 finishers in the race maintained their positions on the grid and there were no overtakes throughout the entire event. A red flag was displayed early on, allowing teams to change tires and avoid additional pit stops that could have influenced the race strategy. Verstappen commented: “Nobody wanted to push the tires too hard because it’s impossible to overtake here, so it wasn’t really exciting. It’s a bit disappointing.” Seven-time Formula 1 world champion from Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, who finished in seventh place, and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who finished in fourth place, echoed Verstappen’s sentiments. Hamilton described the race as dull, with all drivers cruising at a slow pace and seconds below the expected speed. He joked: “I don’t know how it looked from the outside, but I’m sure people were falling asleep.” Norris expressed his disappointment with the race interruption, stating that it eliminated any excitement or potential action. He felt that the drivers were simply circulating the track without specific goals or objectives.
