Monaco: Swiss jubilation over good points 🎥
ONLY SAUCY DID NOT... Alfa Romeo/Sauber scored points in Formula 1 for the first time in 2021, as did Ralph Boschung in Formula 2 and Fach Auto Tech in the Porsche Supercup. Only the Formula Alpine drivers came away empty-handed. The outstanding man in the Principality was, of course, Max Verstappen. The Dutchman celebrated his first triumph in the Red Bull-Honda at the Monaco GP and [...]
The outstanding man in the Principality was, of course, Max Verstappen. The Dutchman celebrated his first Monaco GP triumph in the Red Bull-Honda and the twelfth of his career.
Honda 29 years after Ayrton Senna
As a result, Verstappen took the lead in the world championship standings, as did his team in the constructors' championship. For engine supplier Honda, it is the first Monaco victory since Ayrton Senna's success with McLaren in 1992.
Debacle for Mercedes, damage limitation for Ferrari, point for Alfa-Sauber
Dethroned world championship leader Lewis Hamilton was unable to go beyond seventh place due to a failed tire stop strategy by Mercedes. Pole setter Charles Leclerc had to miss the start after the Ferrari technicians discovered too late a drive defect as a result of the local hero's practice accident. Team-mate Carlos Sainz consoled the Scuderia in second place over the missed chance of victory.
There was also jubilation at Alfa Romeo Racing from Hinwil. Antonio Giovinazzi had qualified for a good tenth place on the grid. The Italian turned this into the one-point tenth place, benefiting of course from the retirement of Leclerc and the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas (wheel nut stuck).
Best Formula 2 weekend of Ralph Boschung
In the forecourt of Formula 1, Ralph Boschung achieved his best results so far. As already reported in Friday's Weekend Tip, the Valais native finished the first sprint in fourth position.
Fifth place in the second sprint on a damp track on Saturday morning and sixth in the late afternoon in the longer main race rounded off Boschung's best weekend in Formula 2 so far. After the triple zero in Bahrain, he moved up to 11th in the championship with the 20 points he collected. What's missing now is his first podium - could only be a matter of time.
Good start to the season for Alex Fach and his team
Fach Auto Tech also narrowly missed out on the podium in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. In the season-opening race, which was interrupted by a crash on the first lap, Christopher Zoechling brought the best of the three new 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars fielded by the team from Schwyz to the finish line in fourth place.
The 29th Porsche Supercup racing season began with a huge crash shortly after the start.
For large parts of the race, the Austrian put massive pressure on the driver in front, Dorian Boccolacci, who drove for Alex Fach in the German Cartrera Cup last year and clinched podium places there.
Christopher Zöchling: "I was faster, but overtaking is one of those things here. If you take too many risks, you quickly end up in the wall in Monaco and empty-handed.
Marius Nakken in the sister car finished twelfth. Team-mate Maxime Boulin was forced to retire on his Monaco debut after contact with an enemy.
Early bad luck for Grégoire Saucy
The only disappointment for the Swiss in Monaco came in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. After three victories this season, Grégoire Saucy started the weekend with high expectations, but things went against the grain right from the start.
In free practice, a colleague spun in front of him on the first timed lap, after which the driver from the Jura crashed slightly. Without practice in the guardrail channel, the 10th and 9th places on the grid achieved in qualifying were somewhat damage limitation for the two races.
Zero number for the four Swiss Formula Alpine drivers
But a setback in the first race and involvement in a starting collision in the second race meant zero additional points in the end. Nevertheless, Saucy still narrowly retains the lead in the standings.
Axel Gnos and Léna Bühler finished the first race around 47 seconds behind the winner in 19th and 20th place, while Jasin Ferati, who also started from far back, hit the ground on the third lap and damaged the suspension of his Tatuus Renault turbo (approx. 280 hp). The trio failed to qualify for Sunday's second race.
All official results and scores can be found below the following links.
