2017 Monaco Grand Prix: Ferrari and Red Bull Dominate

2017 Monaco Grand Prix: Ferrari and Red Bull Domination

Alex Park

The 2017 Monaco Grand Prix was NBC’s most watched Formula 1 Race ever in the United States. With 1.53 million viewers tuning in to Monte Carlo, NBC had the largest audience for a Formula 1 race since it took over broadcasting the sport in 2013. The Indianapolis 500 also took place on the same day, which could have contributed to the high viewership, although the Indy 500 had a record-low 5.5 million viewers.

Port of Hercules in Monaco, France

The Monaco Grand Prix resulted in two Ferrari riders finishing in the top two places. Kimi Raikkonen had an amazing start and held the lead for most of the race, but it was Sebastian Vettel who ultimately came in first place with a race time of 1:44:44 –– Raikkonen fell to second place, crossing the finish line roughly three seconds after Vettel.

Overtaking opportunities are slim in the Monaco Grand Prix, so strategy is crucial for every racer. Red Bull rider Max Verstappen was the first front-runner to pit on lap 33, with Bottas and leader Raikkonen stopping for new tires over the next few laps. But Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo (another Red Bull rider) stayed out a few extra laps on ultra-softs, and Ferrari emerged ahead of their Red Bull rivals. With Ferrari taking the first two places, Ricciardo arrived for third place for the Red Bulls, followed by Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes for fourth, and Verstappen coming in fifth for Red Bulls.