© Getty ImagesRace Recall: Monaco 🛥️A look back at the Team’s success in Monte Carlo
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The first Grand Prix in Monaco was held in 1929 and was one of the seven circuits on the calendar in the first year in 1950 and since 1955 has been on the calendar every year apart from the COVID-hit 2020 season.
It’s an extremely narrow and twisty circuit with very few opportunities for overtaking, so it’s all about where you qualify. If you start on pole, chances are you’ll finish in first. Recently there have been a few dissenting voices saying that maybe it shouldn’t be on the calendar anymore due to the technology of the cars being stifled by the close-quarters of the circuit, but fans and drivers still love it.
Tightest Circuit On The Calendar© Getty Images
Out of the 15 constructors who have won at Monaco over the years, the Team sits fifth on the overall winners list – not bad for a team that only came into existence in 2005. Oracle Red Bull Racing has taken six wins in the principality with five different drivers behind the wheel. But it has a special place in the Team’s heart for another reason…
Christian often says: “The next podium is the most important one.” However, we think he probably thinks about that first podium fondly, which happened in 2006 at Monaco. It was made more iconic as the Team were promoting the Superman Returns film, so David Coulthard and Christian Kilen were sporting drivers suits with the Superman logo emblazoned across their chests.
DC qualified in P7 and the Team elected for a one-stop strategy, which differed from the front runners. DC made his single stop on lap 29. Fuelled to the finish he rejoined in 12th place and slowly began to make his way forward. Cars that weren’t up to the task started to fall away. On lap 48 Williams’ Mark Webber, running in third behind Alonso and McLaren’s Kimi Räikkönen, ground to halt due an exhaust issue. Two laps later it was Räikkönen’s turn, the Finn’s race ended by a small fire that destroyed part of the wiring look of his McLaren.
DC was running in P5 which became fourth when Honda’s Rubens Barrichello received a late-race drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. That pushed Renault’s Jarno Trulli to third behind Alonso and McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya, but the Italian’s hopes of a podium finish were short lived and just over six laps from home he suffered a hydraulic failure that promoted DC to P3 where he took the chequered flag.
David Coulthard scores Red Bull Racing's first podium, at Monaco in 2006© Getty Images
DC famously went to the podium wearing his Superman cape. “I asked Prince Albert if he minded if I wore a Superman cape to celebrate,” said Coulthard. “He said ‘of course not’, so I am also the only driver in F1 history to wear a Superman cape on the podium in Monte Carlo.”
Coulthard wasn’t the only team member to wear the cape that day. Team boss Christian Horner had promised that if the Team finished on the podium, he’d jump naked into the swimming pool on the top deck of the Energy Station. And he was as good as his word, though he did borrow DC’s cape to preserve his modesty. “I got nervous as David moved through the field but it was worth getting wet for this result," said Christian.
After the high of 2006, it would be a few years before the Team would taste champagne again in Monaco. That all changed in 2010 when Mark Webber took the win, with teammate Sebastian Vettel just 0.448s behind him to take second.
A year later It was Seb’s turn to take the chequered flag and win, with Mark finishing in P4. Mark won again in 2012 and the pair both stood on the podium in 2013, with Seb in P2 and Mark in third.
Daniel Ricciardo had plenty of success in Monaco during his time with the Team. He raced for the Bulls five times at Monte Carlo, but he just couldn’t get that win. He’d finished fifth (2015), third twice (2014 and ’17), and second in 2016.
In 2018 he’d managed to get pole position and was looking in good shape. However, on lap 28 Daniel was losing power in the car. It was an MGU-K failure, meaning he lost about 25% of his power and only had six out of the eight gears working. With 50 laps still remaining Daniel had to nurse his car around the track, but thanks to dirty air and the narrowness of the circuit he was able to claim his first victory at Monaco.
That Winning Feeling© Getty Images
After the race he said: “On lap 28 I exited a corner and felt like I had no power. When it was clear that it was an MGU-K issue I wanted to close my eyes and start crying as I thought the race was over and I wondered just what I have to do to win here. We had a lot less power, fortunately, it’s a tight track and we had a good car so I could make up enough time in the corners not to be vulnerable on the straights. On any other circuit, there was no way I would have won today. It wasn’t fun driving like that and I’m pretty exhausted, but very, very happy.”
As we’ve said, pole position is so important at Monaco. The pole sitter has gone on to win 29 times in the history of the race in the Formula One era. In 2021 Charles Leclerc had claimed provisional pole and when the other drivers were on their final push laps in Q3, he crashed into the barrier causing a red flag and ending the session. Ferrari inspected Leclerc’s car and thought it was ok for him to start on pole, however on the formation lap, he developed another problem and was unable to start the race. This left a clear track in front of Max Verstappen. Max then went on to lead the race for all 78 laps and claim his first win in the principality.
Top Of The World© Getty Images
Last year was another race full of drama. Sergio Pérez and Max were sitting provisionally in P3 and P4 in Q3, when Checo misjudged a corner and crashed, causing a red flag and the end of the session. This meant that both Bulls were sitting behind the Ferraris of Leclerc and Carols Sainz. Race day in 2022 brought the rain with it. This delayed the start for over an hour and when the race did begin it was behind the Safety Car. After two laps a rolling start was decreed. Leclerc was able to pull away from his teammate and building a lead. Checo radioed to the garage saying it was time to swap from the wets to inters.
Checo came out of the pits and the undercut had worked because as others pitted around him, he ended up 3.4s ahead of Leclerc. As the track dried out, Ferrari made a mistake calling both cars into the pits and slowing down Leclerc. Max and Checo were able to pit cleanly for hard slicks. Due to another red flag, the race became a time-limited race and Checo had to remain calm on his ageing tyres. He was able to bring his car home in first. “Once I heard my national anthem on the podium here it hit me, it is a dream come true for any driver in the world to tick that box in Monaco and I can just be extremely happy,” Checo said after his win.
Checo’s win made him the first Mexican driver to ever win at Monaco and the fifth Bull to win in Monte Carlo.
When The Reality Hits© Getty Images
