How VCARB and Williams turned Blue Flags into Big points?
- By Dr. AK Rana
Blue flags had the best sales in Monaco this year—and those who watched the race know exactly what I mean.
Ha… Ha… Ha…
Out of 20 cars, 15 were practically running a different race, one or two laps behind the top 5.
It was hilarious… and a little tragic.
But before you laugh too hard, remember: even this mess was the result of sheer strategy, teamwork, and some top-tier pit lane wizardry.
Let’s begin with a big shoutout to Lando Norris for winning the Monaco Grand Prix!
And hats off to Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri for making it to the podium.
For Piastri, this triple-header has been rough—kind of like the opposite of the one before, matching Lando’s luck in the previous one. As Oscar himself admitted:
…
“I’m making mistakes I’ve never made in my career.”
Even so, he still managed a podium.
That’s no small feat. (We’ll unpack the whole McLaren situation in the next blog—trust me, it needs its own article.)
…
Today, let’s talk about the chaos of blue flags.
After Pierre Gasly crashed early (and made himself comfy in the garage,
probably laughing at the absurdity unfolding outside),
14 other cars ended up one or two laps behind the top 5.
That’s where blue flags come in—to signal backmarkers to move aside and let faster cars through.
Now, usually, only 1 or 2 cars need to be lapped.
Not here.
On Monaco’s narrow streets, 14 cars had to make way.
That’s like navigating a bus through Mumbai traffic with no horn—and expecting everyone to move!
…
So how did we end up with 14 cars going backward in a forward race?
The answer: strategy.
Pit strategy.
In Monaco, 2 pit stops are mandatory—or it’s penalty time.
But here’s the twist: since overtaking is near impossible, teams stopped racing and started planning.
…
Enter Williams and VCARB with a championship-worthy slow dance.
Liam Lawson slowed the pack behind him just enough to build a sweet gap for Isack Hadjar to complete both pit stops without losing position.
Then, Carlos Sainz pulled the same trick for Alex Albon, eventually switching places so Carlos could get his pit stops done too.
And voilà—both Williams drivers finished in the points.
…
3/4th of the grid was crawling around, literally forming a traffic jam.
Even Gabriel Bortoleto, buried at the bottom, thought: “Why not try every tyre in the garage?”
Yes, three pit stops—just for kicks!
…
George Russell, stuck behind Albon, had had enough.
He tried cutting a corner, seemingly ready to eat a penalty rather than lose his sanity.
That’s how intense it was.
This Monaco race turned from a competition to a chess match on wheels—with pit strategy dominating over actual racing.
A bit chaotic, a bit sleepy at times, but also oddly thrilling.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen?
He waited… and waited… banking on a red flag so he could take his second pit stop.
But no red flag came.
He finally pitted on the last lap, finishing P4—a quiet ending for the champion who nearly pulled off a quiet heist.
After this madness of Monaco, our next pit stop is: Spanish Grand Prix.
Till then—stay tuned at Halleysclinic.com, and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments.
Contact: halleysclinic@gmail.com
Don’t forget to follow our Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/halleysclinic
also read Epic Monaco Qualifying: Lando Stuns, Ferrari Soars, Mercedes big Crashes!
