The race in the Principality provided numerous surprises, thanks also to the rain that arrived towards the end. However, Max Verstappen was not caught off guard by the weather and managed to secure a great victory. Behind him, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon finished, both delivering a splendid race. Although the Monaco circuit is not famous for its straight lines, let’s analyze the top speeds reached by the F1 cars in Monaco.
Strong performance by the Ferrari engine, Max Verstappen last but in control
Despite the disappointing performance in the race, Ferrari had the car with the highest top speed. Carlos Sainz, in fact, recorded 288.7 km/h at the Speed Trap, located at the exit of the Tunnel. We can observe that the top speeds are significantly lower compared to other circuits, and this is due to two main reasons. Firstly, Monaco doesn’t have long straight lines, and secondly, all the cars have high-downforce setups, which generate a lot of drag. It’s also worth noting that, except for Verstappen and Tsunoda, there is only a 6 km/h difference between all the drivers.
Behind the Spanish Ferrari driver, we find Albon and Stroll, both with Mercedes engines, achieving virtually the same speed, 287 km/h. Immediately after them, Sergio Perez follows with 286 km/h, spending a considerable amount of time in traffic without managing to make a comeback. Also with a top speed of 286 km/h, we have Bottas, Hulkenberg, Russell, and Sergeant, representing two Ferrari engines and two Mercedes engines, highlighting the similar performance of the two power units.
The hometown hero, Charles Leclerc, reaches a top speed of 283.3 km/h, five km/h less than his teammate. Hamilton, Piastri, Ocon, and De Vries also achieve nearly the same top speed. In the lower half of the ranking, we find the two McLarens, confirming their cars generate a significant amount of drag.
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Surprisingly, last in this list of top speeds in the Monaco F1 race is Max Verstappen. The Dutchman and his RB19 reach a speed of 271.7 km/h, 17 km/h less than Carlos Sainz. However, the current world champion comfortably led the entire race and never had to follow in another driver’s slipstream or adopt an aggressive driving style. He focused primarily on tire management, which allowed him to extend his stint on the medium tires. The top speed of his Red Bull could have been higher, as demonstrated in qualifying.
All the data in this article is sourced from the official FIA document. We will see if these values are confirmed or if there are any changes in Barcelona next week.
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