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Monaco Is the First F1 Race in 2023 Where Someone Could Defeat Red Bull, Here's Why

It's finally that time of the year when fans get to enjoy the crown jewel of the Formula 1 calendar, or at least the qualifying sessions, as they probably offer more entertainment than the Grand Prix itself. But one thing to make this Monaco race a bit more interesting is that it might be the first opportunity in 2023 for another team to take the top step of the podium.
Charles Leclerc Monaco GP Free Practice 8 photos
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari / Twitter
Monaco GP Free PracticeMonaco GP Free PracticeMonaco GP Free PracticeMonaco GP Free PracticeMonaco GP Free PracticeMonaco GP Free PracticeMonaco GP Free Practice
Considering how far ahead of the pack the Red Bull cars have been for the entire season, another team potentially winning in Monaco could sound absurd. But it isn't, and there are multiple reasons, the chief of which is the qualifying pace.

Compared to its race pace, Red Bull hasn't been demolishing the competition quite so hard in qualifying sessions. The Milton Keynes-based racing outfit even dropped the ball in Baku, where Ferrari's own Charles Leclerc was the one to set the pace, albeit that was the only race where such a thing happened.

Even by averaging the qualifying deficit over the five Grand Prix that have taken place so far, Red Bull has a 0.175-second advantage. Granted, excluding Baku, that gap becomes 0.26 seconds. But that might not be a big enough advantage for Red Bull to start on pole position in Monaco.

Even though Red Bull is miles ahead of everything else on the grid, it has one not-inconsiderable flaw. Its braking ability is the one thing that holds it back, which could prove to be an issue in Monaco. The RB19 is a very stable car thanks to its suspension, which features a high level of anti-dive.

The problem is that this design also results in a less compliant front end, which can lock up the front tires under braking. On top of that, the Red Bull car has also struggled with getting heat into the tires quickly, something that will be even trickier on the relatively low-speed curves of Monaco.

The Grand Prix circuit in Monaco will also have another impact on the RB19, mitigating one of its main advantages. The car brought into the 2023 season by Red Bull excels when it comes to aero efficiency, which means it has less aerodynamic drag, in turn causing it to achieve higher top speeds on long straights. But there really aren't any in Monaco, meaning there's no direct way for the Red Bull drivers to make up for the car's inherent disadvantages on this sort of track.

Remember, this team is looking to score its second WDC trophy, led by a driver hunting for a hat trick. So, it's pretty safe to assume there will be some sort of tweaks to the car's setup to combat the issues. Then again, Fernando Alonso is also hunting for his first win with Aston Martin, fans who've been watching F1 for a while know just how capable the Spanish driver is. But it was another Spaniard, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz topping the first practice session, with Alonso taking second place, which should make Red Bull at least slightly worried.
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About the author: Bogdan Bebeselea
Bogdan Bebeselea profile photo

As a kid, Bogdan grew up handing his dad the tools needed to work on his old Citroen and asking one too many questions about everything happening inside the engine bay. Naturally, this upbringing led Bogdan to become an engineer, but thanks to Top Gear, The Fast and the Furious series, and racing video games, a passion for automotive entertainment was ignited.
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