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The 2023 F1 Monaco GP will be the first race of the European leg of the calendar. The European leg was supposed to kick off with the race in Imola but unfortunately, that had to be cancelled. The race in Imola was supposed to be the one where the teams brought their upgrade packages.
With the race out of the way, not many teams would be going ahead with bringing the upgrade packages immediately. Many teams have opted to keep their cards close to their chest until the race in Barcelona. One of the reasons behind it is the peculiar nature of the 2023 F1 Monaco GP track.
The track demands a few things like great traction as well as great control for cars to navigate their way through the tight and twisty sections. Coming to the 2023 F1 Monaco GP, quite a few teams will be desperate for a strong result. Some of them, because of the ongoing pressure from the higher-ups, while for others this is just a result of a poor start to the season.
In this feature, we are going to take a look at the teams that need a strong result at the 2023 F1 Monaco GP. So without further ado, let's get to it.
2023 F1 Monaco GP: Top 3 teams desperate for a strong result
#1 Mercedes
Breaking convention, Mercedes has gone ahead with the plan of introducing the major upgrade package in Monaco. While every other team has opted not to bring one, the German squad is going ahead with the upgrade plan.
One of the major reasons why it does appear that the team feels comfortable about bringing the upgrade to a track like Monaco is because of the confidence it has in the package.
Much has been said about the Mercedes upgrade. Lewis Hamilton admitted after the race in Miami that he could not wait to get his hands on the new upgrade. Toto Wolff also sounded quite positive when it comes to the team bringing a set of major upgrades. He called these upgrades nothing but a new foundation for the team to build its car on.
All in all, these upgrades are supposed to be the first major step for the German team. How much will these upgrades be worth in terms of lap time? It's hard to say but for the team to go ahead with the plan at the 2023 F1 Monaco GP, one has to assume a certain sense of confidence and a certain desperation as well.
Mercedes will be desperate for a strong result with these upgrades because it would spell trouble otherwise.
#2 Ferrari
Ferrari threw away a race win at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP last season. The team had the car, it had the driver in Charles Leclerc, it had everything it needed to win the race and it was all going to be straightforward. Unfortunately, the team messed up in a major way and effectively cost Charles Leclerc a win at his home race.
This race weekend, once again Ferrari has the car that is capable of fighting for the win. What the team needs is perfect execution and a perfect support system for Leclerc. If the team can get that done, a win is certainly on the cards this weekend.
#3 Alpine
Alpine got a good old thrashing from its team boss before the weekend in Miami and by the looks of it, he's still not happy. The team had set a target for finishing P4 in the championship this season but looking at the gap that the top 4 teams have on the rest of the field, it does look unlikely.
The car produced by Alpine is a decent upgrade from the one last season but the step it has made is not as big as it had anticipated. As a result, the team has been left behind by Aston Martin that has made a monumental jump. There is one area however where Alpine has been impressively strong this season and that is qualifying.
Even though the drivers have found it hard to mix it up with the top 4 teams in races, there have been a few qualifying sessions where the two drivers have got the jump on these drivers. In Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, the team has two drivers that tend to do a good job more often than not.
The 2023 F1 Monaco GP is a perfect opportunity to scalp a few Aston Martins, Ferraris, and Mercedes, and the team would be aiming for just that this weekend.
