FORMULA1 WKLY Issue 13 | Monaco Grand Prix
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GUEST PREDICTION · @MaggottsBeckettsF1
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Massive thanks to @MaggottsBeckettsF1 for this week's guest pick.
They do F1 debates, race breakdowns and hot takes. Their tagline says it best: "We don't watch quietly."
Why them? F1 content creators are rare in South Africa, so when I came across their stuff I had to reach out. The deep dives, the debates, the breakdowns all pulled me in. Cool guys, sharp takes, perfect fit for the newsletter.
THE CALL:
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"We're going to get a Nico vs. Lewis in Mercedes, and it's gonna go down to the wire between George and Kimi."
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THE TAKE:
Bold shout. The 2016 Rosberg vs Hamilton ghost still haunts that garage. Antonelli leads Russell by 68 points already. If the gap closes and Mercedes keep winning, things could turn hostile fast.
Show them some love and follow on every platform:
Instagram: instagram.com/maggottsbeckettsf1
TikTok: tiktok.com/@maggottsbeckettsf1
YouTube: youtube.com/@MaggottsBeckettsF1
Tag them if you back the call.
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ANTONELLI UNTOUCHABLE IN MONACO CHAOS
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Kimi Antonelli took pole, led every lap, set the fastest lap and won a Monaco Grand Prix that saw seven drivers retire. It was a Grand Slam and his fifth win in a row, a streak only world champions have ever matched.
Hamilton took second for Ferrari. Hadjar grabbed his first Red Bull podium in third after Gasly was demoted by penalties. Verstappen DNF'd at lights out with an anti-stall issue. Leclerc crashed at the final corner under a Safety Car restart.
Antonelli now leads the Drivers' Championship by 66 points.
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PIT LANE CHAOS COSTS GASLY A PODIUM
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Six pit lane speeding penalties hit five drivers in Monaco. Gasly was punished twice and lost a podium. Hamilton, Russell, Piastri, and Colapinto were the others.
Most were over by just 0.1 km/h. The FIA says its measurement system worked fine and blames drivers cutting the pit entry line. Cadillac's new pit box sits at the end of the pit lane and has changed the geometry, so small cuts now register differently. Hamilton disagreed and said, "I wasn't speeding."
Alpine filed a Right of Review and brought a trundle wheel to the pit lane post-race to measure it themselves. The FIA hears the case virtually on Thursday at 13:00 CEST, the day before Spanish GP practice. Martin Brundle backed the FIA on Sky, calling the penalties "necessarily brutal" because mechanic safety leaves no room for leniency.
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ANOTHER REALITY CHECK FOR MCLAREN
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Norris DNF'd from a power loss. That's two retirements in a row. Piastri finished fourth, the only McLaren on track at the chequered flag.
The Miami Sprint win felt like momentum returning. Monaco wiped that feeling out. McLaren now sit third in the Constructors, 47 points behind Ferrari.
Barcelona will tell us whether Miami was a spike or a sign.
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RED BULL'S ENGINE IS BEST. THE CAR ISN'T.
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The FIA's ADUO assessment named Red Bull Powertrains the 2026 benchmark engine. Every other manufacturer can apply for an upgrade. Red Bull cannot.
ADUO is the FIA's mechanism for letting underperforming engine makers close the gap mid-season. Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi and Honda all qualify. That means McLaren, Williams and the works Mercedes and Ferrari outfits all get fresh ammunition before the title race heats up.
Awkward timing for Red Bull. Their power unit is the best in the field, yet Verstappen DNF'd at lights out and Hadjar's podium was the team's high point in Monaco. The car is the problem, not the engine. Rivals just got the keys to catch up.
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NEXT RACE PREVIEW
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June 12-14 · Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya · Round 7
Back-to-back weekend means no time to lick wounds. Barcelona is a proper aero test track where the fastest car usually wins.
Watch Mercedes. If Antonelli is quick here, the title race may already be over.
The midfield fight is also wide open after Monaco's penalty chaos.
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR
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• Norris needs a clean weekend after two DNFs in a row.
• Hadjar carries Monaco podium form into a very different circuit.
• Red Bull look for answers after Verstappen's lights-out DNF.
• Alpine's FIA hearing Thursday could give Gasly his Monaco podium back.
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FAST FACTS
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Circuit Length: 4.657km
First Grand Prix: 1991
Number of Laps: 66
Fastest Lap: 1:15.743 - Oscar Piastri (2025)
Race Distance: 307.236km
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DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP
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1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 156
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 90
3. George Russell (Mercedes) 88
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 75
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 60
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CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP
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1. Mercedes 244
2. Ferrari 165
3. McLaren 118
4. Red Bull Racing 72
5. Alpine 41
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Made by a fan, for the fans.