Monaco monsoon causes early grand prix chaos

The Monaco Grand Prix was subjected to a monsoon downpour just as the race was about to start.

After two formation laps behind the safety car, race director Eduardo Freitas decided to red-flag the event as the rain battered the principality street circuit.

Just 10 minutes before the scheduled local start time of 3pm, light rain began to fall, leading to the teams racing to change the slick tyres on their cars to intermediates.

With two minutes to go, race control announced the formation lap would start at nine minutes past the hour, and then delaying again to 16 minutes past as the rain started to intensify.

It left fans at the circuit and the millions of television viewers wondering why the delay given the conditions were suitable to go racing, despite the obviously slippery nature of the street track.

The FIA then confirmed via a statement that "race control was monitoring a downpour that was rapidly approaching the circuit, and as it arrived during the start procedure, the safety car start and associated procedures were implemented.

"This was done for safety reasons in consideration that there has been no wet running this weekend."

As the safety car pulled away, the rain grew heavier, and as the cars followed behind, even polesitter in Ferrari's Charles Leclerc remarked: "It's raining like crazy!"

Haas driver Mick Schumacher added: "I think I've never got this wet in a Formula 1 car!"

Given the deluge, Freitas red-flagged the event, forcing all the drivers to return to the pits and wait for the all-clear to finally go racing.

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