This weekend Formula 1 returns to one of its most famous theatres, the Monaco Grand Prix, with a title fight increasing in intensity with every race.

However, it’s matters away from the track which could dominate the headlines early on, with Lewis Hamilton set for Round 2 of his argument with the FIA over body piercings.

The row first reared its head in Miami and, as detailed below, the two-race exemption for Hamilton ends when F1 reaches the principality.

Regarding the racing action, it’s now three consecutive victories for Max Verstappen, with Red Bull taking the lead of both championships following the Spanish Grand Prix.

Barcelona was not the weekend Ferrari had hoped for after Charles Leclerc retired with an engine problem whilst leading the race, but the Monegasque was still left positive bearing in mind the pace his Ferrari had – he might just be ready to convert the updated F1-75’s speed into a home win.

“I feel better after this weekend than I felt after the last two weekends,” the Ferrari driver said.

Here is what to watch out for during the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

Lewis Hamilton set for FIA showdown in Monaco

Lewis Hamilton could be heading for another showdown with the FIA in Monaco, when his two-race exemption for wearing his nose-piercing ends.

The Mercedes driver was previously at loggerheads this year over other jewellery worn whilst racing – attending the Miami GP with three watches on amongst other accessories in protest – but relented aside from his nose piercing and another non-specified one, both of which would have to be surgically removed.

Hamilton said he was quite happy to sit out the race in Miami, before a resolution was reached.

“If they stop me then so be it,” he said. “We’ve got a spare driver all ready and prepped for the weekend. There’s lot to do in the city anyway, so I’ll be good either way.”

When Autosport asked if he was actually planning to remove his nose piercings in time for Monaco, Hamilton replied: “No. I got an exemption here, I’ll get an exemption the rest of the year – wedding rings are allowed.”

Expect this to be a story that rumbles on once F1 reaches the principality.

Will it rain in Monaco this weekend?

At the time of writing, there is an 80 per cent chance of rain for Sunday’s race.

The last time there was a wet race in the principality was 2016, which is famous for Red Bull’s pit-stop error that cost Daniel Ricciardo the victory. Other famous wet-weather races include Ayrton Senna’s breakout ’84 performance, Olivier Panis’s only win in ’96 and Lewis Hamilton’s ’08 victory in his first title year.

If rain does fall, then that should suit the likes of Verstappen, the Mercedes duo and Lando Norris, who tend to shine in dismal conditions

Driving in the wet around Monaco is one of the ultimate tests of any F1 driver, their talents stretched to the limit as they thread through the unforgiving barriers.

However, qualifying looks like it might be dry with a light chance of rain after the session has finished, reducing the chance of a jumbled grid.

Given the well-known difficulties of passing, even in the rain, a wet race isn’t guaranteed to produce drama.

All eyes on crucial Monaco GP qualifying

With the Monaco street circuit being one of the tightest on the F1 calendar, the qualifying laps are likely to be the most important of the weekend.

There was just one on-track pass in 2021, emphasising just how incredibly difficult it is to overtake in the principality.

Of the past 10 Monaco GPs, the race has been won from pole six times. On the other four occasions, the polesitter has only lost due to an error in the pits, or — in the case of Leclerc last year — a crash in qualifying that meant he could not start the following day.

Expect teams to prioritise one-lap pace to the detriment of their performance in the race, taking their lead from Daniel Ricciardo’s 2018 win from pole after driving most of the race with 25% less horsepower, but still managing to keep Sebastian Vettel right behind him.

How will Charles Leclerc fare with the pressure of his home crowd?

For first time in his career Charles Leclerc heads into Monaco with a genuine title-challenging car.

The importance of qualifying should also play into his hands – the Ferrari driver has claimed pole in four of the six rounds this season.

On one lap he is the man to beat, but can he shake off the increasing sense that he’s cursed in front of his home crowd and finally have a clean Monaco weekend?

Since Leclerc’s F1 debut in 2018 he is yet to finish the Monaco Grand Prix. Two of those races have featured a Leclerc crash with his most recent in 2021 proving most costly – the Monégasque set the fastest time but then crashed on his next flying lap. The damage sustained meant that he couldn’t start the race.

His confidence won’t have been helped by a crash at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix earlier this month, when the brakes failed on a 1974 Ferrari he was driving, sending him into the wall.