Grand Prix de Monaco
Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Course: Circuit de Monaco
Course Length: 3.34km
Laps: 78
Race Preview
Max Verstappen recovered from a trip off track last week in Barcelona to take advantage of Ferrari misfortune and win his fourth race of the season. The victory also vaulted him into the championship lead, giving him a six-point advantage over Charles Leclerc heading into this weekend's marquee event at Monaco. The tight and twisty Monaco Grand Prix is perhaps the most famous race on the calendar and combines glitz and glamour with the speed and innovation of the Formula 1 circus. Verstappen grabbed his first victory in the principality last season after the race took a one-year hiatus from the schedule due to the global pandemic. While the circuit is well known to the teams and drivers, one change taking place in 2022 is the move of Monaco's traditional Thursday practice to Friday. The move was made to condense weekend activities as well as give teams an extra day to transport their people and equipment from last week's race in Spain.
Key Stats at Circuit de Monaco
- Races: 70
- Winners from pole: 30
- Winners from top-5 starters: 67
- Winners from top-10 starters: 69
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 157.834 mph
Previous 10 Monaco Winners
2021 - Max Verstappen
2019 - Lewis Hamilton
2018 - Daniel Ricciardo
2017 - Sebastian Vettel
2016 - Lewis Hamilton
2015 - Nico Rosberg
2014 - Nico Rosberg
2013 - Nico Rosberg
2012 - Mark Webber
2011 - Sebastian Vettel
Perhaps the most important race of any Monaco Grand Prix weekend is the race for pole. The tight and twisty street circuit has featured on the Formula 1 calendar since 1935, and the narrow city streets haven't grown to accommodate the wildly more powerful machines that compete today. Passing is notoriously difficult on the circuit, and starting position is the best indicator of finishing order. With passing being such a challenge, teams focus heavily on pit strategy. Teams will time their stops to get their cars back on track away from traffic, and, alternatively, teams may also opt to leave their drivers out longer if they have clear track ahead. The goal is to maximize lap speed away from traffic in an effort to leap frog the cars ahead as pit stops cycle through. Mistakes on pit road can therefore be detrimental to race success.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Charles Leclerc - $17,400
Max Verstappen - $16,800
George Russell - $15,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Valtteri Bottas - $12,300
Lando Norris - $11,100
Fernando Alonso - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kevin Magnussen - $8,400
Pierre Gasly - $6,900
Sebastian Vettel - $5,700
DraftKings Constructor Values
Ferrari - $11,500
Red Bull - $11,000
Mercedes - $9,500
My Picks
Team Captain - Charles Leclerc - $17,400
Kevin Magnussen - $8,400
Pierre Gasly - $6,900
Alex Albon - $6,000
Sebastian Vettel - $5,700
Constructor - McLaren - $5,500
Fantasy players selecting their lineups for Sunday's race are advised to wait and see how qualifying plays out first. However, if selecting early, Leclerc makes a nice option despite his high price tag. The Ferrari driver has been competitive all season and has extra motivation to win his home race this year. Fans should remember that he qualified on pole last year but wasn't able to start. In fact, he has never finished at this circuit, but that shouldn't dissuade anyone from selecting him as a top prospect this week. Kevin Magnussen then heads the rest of the selections given his fine form this season. He sits 10th in the standings, having picked up points in three races and has finished 13th or better in four of five Monaco starts. The battle between the Alpha Tauri drivers is currently being won by Yuki Tsunoda, but this week may be a good time to select Pierre Gasly. The French driver has finished in the top 10 in all three of his starts at Monaco. His average finish at the track is 8.0, and he finished better than where he started there twice. Alex Albon also makes a confident choice this week. He has outpaced his teammate consistently this season and finished eighth at Monaco in 2019. Who could argue against selecting a two-time Monaco winner? Sebastian Vettel hasn't had the best start to the year with Aston Martin, but his abilities on this track cannot be denied. This could be the week he's expected to outperform his early-season results. With the driver choices settled, the constructor's selection becomes apparent in McLaren. The team has taken a large step forward in competitiveness in 2022 and has former winner Daniel Ricciardo driving one of their machines. Lando Norris is no slouch at this track either, having finished on the podium in last year's race.
Best Bets (Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)
Race Winner - Max Verstappen +120
Winning Constructor - Red Bull +105
Winning Margin - Between 5 & 10 seconds +275
Fastest Lap - Max Verstappen +165
Safety Car - No +500
Early odds suggest this week's race is Leclerc's to lose, and Verstappen and Red Bull offer better wagering values as a result. However, Verstappen to win is a much more attractive wager this week considering he has won every race he has finished so far this season. The odds also suggest Red Bull is the second favorite constructor to Ferrari. While both Carlos Sainz Jr. and Sergio Perez have stood on three podiums this year, Perez is the one who is sitting third in points, which makes Red Bull the better value. In terms of prop wagers, the winning margin for the past five Monaco grands prix has been between two to nine seconds with three of those results coming in over the five-second mark. Those trying their luck expect a closer race this week, but recent history and the nature of this track might suggest otherwise. Finally, safety cars have been a regular feature this season. One would think with Monaco's tight track there will likely be another this week, too. However, the history of this circuit along with its competent marshals and strategically placed cranes can quickly remove stricken cars, which makes the possibility of the race only seeing local yellows a bit more likely than elsewhere.
