Racing
© Jonathan Borba
The Monaco Grand Prix was stopped near the finish because the circuit itself was breaking up, with the FIA red-flagging the race to inspect crumbling asphalt at Turn 19 rather than simply deal with a crash scene.
Race control made the reason explicit in its official message: “The red flag is for the inspection of the asphalt that is crumbling in Turn 19.” Television pictures had already shown chunks of surface detaching at the final corner, where the problem had developed on the racing line.
Drivers said the warning signs had been there long before the stoppage. Nico Hülkenberg, the Haas driver, said pieces of tarmac were already missing during the drivers’ parade before the race and called the situation “very concerning.” Carlos Sainz said he saw the first signs of deterioration on the opening lap. Sergio Pérez had also warned over team radio on lap 25: “They have to clean the asphalt in the last corner.”
What made the issue more serious was its location. Oscar Piastri, the McLaren driver, said the damaged section sat directly on the ideal line through Rascasse, forcing drivers to change their approach as the surface worsened. At first, he said, some thought they were only seeing tire debris. Then the holes in the track became obvious. If a car touched the broken section, Piastri said, “it was like ice.”
The race was only halted after two accidents in the same area. Lance Stroll hit trouble there first, and Charles Leclerc then crashed at the same corner shortly after the restart, prompting the stoppage for track inspection.
During the red-flag period, race director Rui Marques went to the corner himself to assess the damage. Loose pieces of asphalt were removed and teams were asked to gather feedback from their drivers before the race resumed. Even then, confidence was limited. Hülkenberg said holes were still visible before the restart, even if he no longer saw the corner as an immediate danger for the final laps.
Piastri was less convinced. Asked after the race whether the corner felt safe after the intervention, he answered with a single word: “Non.”
That left Monaco facing renewed questions over the quality of its track surface under the loads generated by current Formula 1 cars, especially after the race was allowed to resume with drivers still reporting visible damage at the final corner.