A trophy was also the stated goal of Daniel Abt, who shone in qualifying yet again to take fifth on the grid. However, the youngster was a victim of the narrow street circuit in the first corner: Nico Prost tried to overtake around the outside and pushed the German into the barriers in the process. The result: an early bath for Daniel Abt, five other cars involved and a safety car until the stricken cars and debris were cleaned up.
“I didn’t expect the race to end like this. I simply don’t understand the behavior in the first corner,” said an angry Daniel Abt. “Everybody knows that it’s narrow in Monaco and you have to make room – it’s a real shame that after such a maneuver a few cars are out of the race after just a couple of hundred meters.” The race stewards investigated the incident but decided against taking any further action.