Formula 1 Monaco GP
Power outage delayed Monaco start, prevented standing restarts
A power outage impacting the systems and panels on the Formula 1 grid contributed to the delayed start in Monaco and prevented standing restarts after the red flags.
Luke Smith
Edited: May 30, 2022, 10:24 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Rain in the build-up to the planned start time of 3pm for the Monaco Grand Prix led to the start procedure being suspended just minutes away from the intended start of the formation lap.
The formation lap was initially rescheduled for 3:09pm local time in Monaco, but the start was then delayed again by the FIA to 3:16pm, beginning the race behind the safety car.
After completing two laps behind the safety car, heavy rain then led to the race being red flagged.
The initial decisions to delay the start to 15.16 stemmed from the FIA wanting to give the teams ample opportunity to change to wet weather tyres as it anticipated the heavy rain that arrived on the two safety car formation laps.
Then, when the cars were lined up in the pit lane under the red flag that followed, a power outage caused the starting systems to fail and contributed to the wait of nearly 45-minutes before the first rolling restart was attempted.
It is understood the FIA was able to choose a standing start before the rain increasing led to the race's first red flag, but the power cut meant it could not be sure the start system would work fully afterwards and so it had no choice but to implement rolling restarts for the rest of the event.
Mercedes driver and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said after the race he thought two standing starts would have been possible, but acknowledged that the "spray was crazy" after the rain shower, making a rolling start "the best thing to do".
In a new rule introduced ahead of the 2020 season, races can resume via a standing restart on the grid after a red flag if the race director deems it appropriate.
This could have been applicable for the restart after the first red flag for rain, which halted proceedings by almost an hour, as well as the second restart on lap 31 following the red flag for Mick Schumacher's sizeable crash at the exit of the Swimming Pool chicane.
A number of drivers were left confused why the race didn't start as planned at 3pm, believing they could have handled the wet weather that hit the circuit.
Read Also:
- Schumacher: Huge Monaco GP crash felt "super weird"
- Ferrari protests Red Bull's Monaco GP result for crossing pit exit
- Leclerc: Ferrari made "too many mistakes" in Monaco GP defeat
The FIA said that race control was "monitoring a severe downpour that was rapidly approaching the circuit" and the decision to suspend the start procedure was "done for safety reasons in consideration that there has been no wet running this weekend".
"They could have started," said Haas driver Kevin Magnussen. "Of course there was a point afterwards that was torrential rain and the race would have been red-flagged. But that's part of racing.
"If conditions are OK, they should start us. Or maybe give us a crash course in wet-weather driving or something, or take some classes."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Alonso: ‘Not my problem’ slow driving frustrated Hamilton
Next article FIA dismisses Ferrari protest against Red Bull in Monaco GP
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Luke Smith
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
Formula 1
Formula 1
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Formula 1
Formula 1
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Formula 1
Formula 1
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Latest news
NASCAR Cup Martinsville starting lineup: Denny Hamlin rockets to pole
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
41 min
NASCAR Cup Martinsville starting lineup: Denny Hamlin rockets to pole
Did Kyle Larson win the NASCAR Cup or has Denny Hamlin lost it?
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
50 min
Did Kyle Larson win the NASCAR Cup or has Denny Hamlin lost it?
F1 Mexico GP: Lando Norris tops final practice by 0.001s from Kimi Antonelli
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
1 h
F1 Mexico GP: Lando Norris tops final practice by 0.001s from Kimi Antonelli
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe