We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
The Monaco Grand Prix is historic, iconic, revered, and a driver favorite. But it’s also known to be a bit boring. It’s not you, Monaco; it’s me. Or, rather, them. *points to race teams* Because the road course hasn’t changed. However, the cars discovered that creatine drip and got swole. Which means little to no passing on a narrow circuit that already only offers a single pit stop. (I’m yawning as I write this.) Lucky for us, there was some action this year!
Unlucky for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, his Sunday drive was over before reaching turn two. But lucky again, because he survived a crash that absolutely obliterated his car.
We can’t embed F1 videos, but here’s the wipeout from the Monaco highlights reel on its YouTube channel:
Race starts are exciting because anything can happen, and usually does. At Monaco, Perez and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen were battling for position upon exiting turn one. But given the already cramped quarters of the course, this is a race of millimeters for today’s broad-shouldered F1 car. Something had to give.
Except neither Perez nor Magnussen laid off the throttle, so pop went the weasel.
Hulkenberg tagged Perez’s right rear, sending the two cars into the barriers at a reported speed of 160 mph. Behind them was Magnussen’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg. With nowhere to go, Hulkenberg unwillingly joined the party.
Today’s race was eventually won by hometown hero Charles Leclerc. Although a multiple pole winner, he had never before podiumed at Monaco.
According to F1, Leclerc also became the first Monégasque to win at home since 1931. But we need to also consider the race a win for safety. Because we witnessed Hulkenberg, Magnussen, and Perez walk away from some awful-looking wreckage. Sure, they continued to battle each other off-course via finger-pointing and microphones, but at least it wasn’t from a hospital bed.
Racing at these speeds is undoubtedly a dangerous sport, a peril that drivers acknowledge every time they get behind the wheel. But the life-and-death risks extend to track workers and spectators as well. In today’s F1 crash, most of the damage was suffered by Perez’s car, and only the car. Three of its wheels were essentially ripped from the frame, leaving the monocoque to slide to a stop. With so much debris strewn across the road, the red flags were waved to signify a full race stoppage.
Although none of the drivers continued the race, all three walked away from their mangled machines. The most impressive reminder of the racing series’ safety measures is that Perez exited his vehicle as if simply waking up from a power nap. Most of the car was strewn across the race course but, thankfully, Perez himself remained intact.
The single-piece survival cell has been around since 1981, and it certainly did its job in the case of Perez. The carbon fiber structure has evolved over time and now seems nearly indestructible. And that’s the point. But safety features, though necessary, are sometimes sacrificed in the name of cost savings. Sounds stupid but F1 didn’t even require the Halo feature, which protects the driver’s head in the case of a rollover, until 2018.
Teams actually complained about the titanium-blend cockpit reinforcement, saying it would cost too much, could limit sight lines, and simply wasn’t needed. Everyone eventually changed their tune after seeing examples of the Halo preventing fatalities and minimizing recipients of actual halos. Like, hello? What part of rollover protection sounds like a bad idea?
Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com
