Round seven of the 2022 Formula One season takes place around the streets of Monaco. It’s a unique and incredibly demanding track, with an intense level of focus required to complete each lap.
The Circuit de Monaco is Formula One’s shortest track layout, at just 3.337 kilometers in length. This is almost one kilometer shorter than the next shortest, which is Zandvoort. It also has the shortest run from pole position to the first braking zone on the 2022 F1 calendar, at just 114 metres. This means there is less opportunity to make a move on the opening lap.
Just 42% of the lap time in Monaco is taken at full throttle, the lowest figure of all the F1 tracks on this year’s schedule.
Qualifying and Set-Up Are Vital
Qualifying holds far more importance in Monaco compared to other tracks because it’s very difficult to overtake in the race. The track layout is very narrow, there is only one DRS zone and there are few long straights and heavy braking zones to encourage overtaking.
And so, Monaco places more focus on race strategy – well-timed pit-stops and good tyre choice – as a way of making up places.
Cornering speeds in Monaco are very low, so teams need to put the maximum amount of downforce that they can on the cars.
Homing in on another pole?
@Charles_Leclerc finishes fastest in FP2
#MonacoGP #F1 https://t.co/yRTPaUeW9a
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 27, 2022
Two Strong Sunday Suggestions
With all of that digested, just what are the best bets for the weekend ahead?
The luckless Charles Leclerc is the obvious choice for the race victory. He was robbed in Barcelona last weekend when his power failed. At the time the 23-year-old had the race at his mercy.
Of course, this is Leclerc’s home race. He looked like winning it for the first time 12 months ago when qualifying on pole. But a damaged driveshaft meant he could not start the race.
On Saturday, if avoiding misfortune, he should be able to repeat his 2021 qualifying heroics – as his car loves tracks that need a high-downforce configuration – and catapult himself into long odds-on for glory in Sunday’s race.
Charles LeClerc to win at 20/21 at Betfair Exchange
Bet the Small Distance
Strikingly, the winning margins in this race down the years have been relatively low. None of the past 14 races have been won by more than 10 seconds and nine of the 14 have been won by less than five seconds.
These are strong figures from a good sample size. Resultantly, taking the even-money about Sunday’s race being another five-seconds or shorter result is not a difficult decision to make.
Winning Margin – Under 5 seconds at Evens at Betfair Sportsbook
2022 Monaco Grand Prix Timetable
Session / Local Time (CEST) / UK (BST)
Practice 1 (Friday)
- 14:00-15:00
- 13:00-14:00
Practice 2 (Friday)
- 17:00-18:00
- 16:00-17:00
Practice 3 (Saturday)
- 13:00-14:00
- 12:00-13:00
Qualifying (Saturday)
- 16:00-17:00
- 15:00-16:00
Race (Sunday)
- 15:00-16:00
- 14:00-16:00
* Monaco GP betting odds are subject to changes.
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