F1: Karun Chandhok on Max Verstappen vs Lando Norris and Ferrari’s huge Monaco GP probability | F1 Information

Max Verstappen held off a late problem from Lando Norris on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday to return to the highest step of the rostrum.

Verstappen gained by lower than one second in a tense struggle for the lead between Purple Bull and McLaren, with each groups urging their drivers on.

Charles Leclerc took his fourth podium of the 12 months as Ferrari did not fairly have the tempo to hitch the lead battle.

Oscar Piastri completed in fourth after leaping Carlos Sainz within the one and solely spherical of pit stops, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in sixth and seventh.

Sky Sports activities F1‘s Karun Chandhok was in Imola all through the weekend and provides his professional verdict on all of the motion and what it means.

Why F1 2024 is now all about positive margins

What Imola confirmed to us is that after the dominant begin Max needed to 2024, that is turning into a season of marginal positive aspects.

Should you have a look at it, the distinction within the final result of the race on the entrance might have been the slipstream that Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas gave Verstappen on the finish of qualifying. That’s how tight it’s now.

If Norris had been the one who began in entrance in clear air then he would have suffered much less on the medium tyres within the first stint in comparison with Max. Or, it is a query of 1 automobile suiting a selected kind of tyre, marginally greater than the opposite.

On Sunday, it appeared as if the Purple Bull was happier on the medium compound within the first stint, whereas the McLaren was higher on the arduous within the second.

In that first stint, Max had opened a 6.4s lead by the point that Lando pitted on lap 22. However after his cease Lando was capable of carry that hole down by being sensible, biding his time early on to carry the tyres in, in a mild means, earlier than hammering it within the closing levels.

It is tremendous marginal, which is nice. To have the primary two vehicles end inside 0.7s of one another may be very encouraging for the remainder of the 12 months.

Verstappen vs Norris

It is on weekends like this the place Verstappen actually earns his cash, 100 per cent. Purple Bull didn’t have the quickest automobile. They’ve at all times obtained a aggressive automobile, however it took a driver of Max’s confidence and skill to wring a lap out on qualifying, which set him up for the race.

If Sergio Perez had certified on the entrance two rows of the grid, he would most likely have gone with the main practice too, however he did not, getting knocked out in Q2 and qualifying eleventh.

The truth that Perez then went off by means of the gravel within the race and Verstappen was later proven a black-and-white flag for monitor limits infringement as Norris chased him down, confirmed how arduous the Purple Bull drivers have been having to push and work in that race. However I get the sense that Max is having fun with the problem.

The response he had after qualifying, it was like he actually needed to work for the pole, and then you definitely get extra satisfaction out of that as a result of it was barely sudden and Purple Bull have been coming from behind after a troublesome Friday.

He appears to be having fun with the problem. In the end, as a sportsperson, you’re there to beat challenges and succeed and also you get recent motivation from that. It’s a must to dig deep to get a end result, and then you definitely get extra satisfaction if you obtain it.

Lando’s final stint as he chased down Max was superb. He was so near going off within the Villeneuve Chicane twice. I actually thought he was going to finish up within the gravel, however he held on to it, did not again out and simply stored going.

I do not know if it is new-found confidence after Miami, however it’s definitely the signal of a driver who’s snug with the automobile, at one with the automobile, and assured to assault.

Who else stood out at Imola?

Piastri ultimately completed fourth within the different McLaren, and I believed he was very unfortunate as a result of he had outqualified Lando.

If he had not had his penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen and began on the entrance row as an alternative of fifth behind the 2 Ferraris, he would perhaps have had the identical race as his team-mate and gone after Max.

It is two races in a row now the place Oscar might have had the higher hand on Lando and it hasn’t ended up figuring out like that, in order that’s unfortunate for him.

Elsewhere, Mercedes are simply the place they’re proper now, ending sixth and seventh, however I believed Yuki Tsunoda was an actual standout performer within the RB.

In a 12 months the place he’s having a extremely good season, he but once more completely put his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo within the shade over the entire weekend. His solely actual errors got here in Q3 after which making a cautious begin however he recovered effectively to get one other level.

Who’s favorite for Monaco?

Monaco is likely to be a monitor that favours Ferrari.

Now we have seen all through this season that the slow-speed corners, the place you need to rotate the automobile sharply, or lengthy corners the place you maintain onto the steering lock for a while, favour the Ferraris.

That is the kind of nook that you’ve in Monaco round Mirabeau, the hairpin, Portier and Rascasse.

We all know Charles Leclerc is determined to win on dwelling floor for the primary time, so I am excited to see how they get on there later this week. The climate forecast means that there could also be some rain over the weekend which can make it very thrilling!

Sky Sports activities F1’s reside Monaco GP Schedule

Thursday Could 23
12.05pm: F3 Apply
1.30pm: Drivers’ Press Convention
2pm: F2 Apply

Friday Could 24
10am: F3 Qualifying
12pm: Monaco GP Apply One (session begins at 12.30pm)*
2pm: F2 Qualifying*
3.45pm: Monaco GP Apply Two (session begins at 4pm)*
5.30pm: The F1 Present
6.30pm: Indy 500 Ultimate Apply
8.30pm: Indy 500 Pit Cease Problem

Saturday Could 25
9.40am: F3 Dash
11.15am: Monaco GP Apply Three (session begins at 11.30am)*
1.10pm: F2 Dash*
2.15pm: Monaco GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: Monaco GP Qualifying*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book

Sunday Could 26
6.55am: F3 Characteristic Race
8.35am: F2 Characteristic Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP build-up*
2pm: The MONACO GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Monaco GP response
5pm: Ted’s Pocket book
5.30pm: The Indy 500

Subsequent up it is time for the most-famous F1 race of all of them – the Monaco Grand Prix. Watch each session from the well-known avenue circuit from Friday reside on Sky Sports activities F1, with Sunday’s race at 2pm. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime