Whose fault was it?
Formula 1 officials classified the first-lap crash that destroyed the cars—and races—of Checo Perez, chaos king Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hulkenberg as a ‘racing incident’, which to me still doesn’t quite square with what I saw on the uphill climb out of Sainte Devote. But that’s the joy of being a casual observer—it’s not my decision to make. You’ve all seen the footage and will have formed your own opinions. This is mine: I think Magnussen has been very lucky here. That the crash happened on the first lap of the race, and that his position just about merited space from Perez, may save him. Remove those two circumstances and he’s probably in trouble. Even then, I have questions. Questions like: “What were you doing there?” and “Given your extensive knowledge of Monaco, where did you think that move would end?” But that would be too simplistic a line of enquiry.
My only real question is: To what extent was this accident caused because it was Monaco, the place where no one can overtake? Every driver must have been thinking to himself, lap one is the only realistic chance to pass anyone—best have a go. Ocon clearly thought the same thing, and it didn’t end well for him either. If F1 cars have outgrown many normal circuits (see also: Imola), they outgrew Monaco in the early 70s—if they ever even properly fit it.
That first-lap crash, to some extent, was just an extension of an over-it mindset that’s rampant amongst drivers. Their frustration with Monaco has been bubbling away for years, but they are now so emboldened that in pre-race interviews, they effectively write off the Sunday race. I can’t think of another sport its athletes actively downplay the main event so intently.
Marshals remove the damaged car of Sergio Perez after the opening lap crash
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Yes, overtaking has always been—and remains—more difficult on a street circuit. But when your gladiators are openly mocking the potential spectacle, you have a serious problem. Can you imagine Novak Djokovic being interviewed before Wimbledon, looking bored with life and predicting the outcome as, “Probably straight sets, no service breaks, no rallies beyond three shots, it’ll be pretty boring”? That’s exactly what Hamilton and Alonso did!
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