Grand Prix 2010 Monaco Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Typical F1. You wait three weeks for a race and then two come along at once.
So it's on to one of F1's 'Marmite' tracks since drivers, teams and fans alike either love it or hate it. One thing's for sure though, Monaco provides a unique challenge and is one of the few tracks left on the calendar where mistakes aren't rewarded with a three mile wide run off area. Instead, drivers who over-cook it at Monaco are met with the sound of cracking carbon fibre and the end of their afternoon.

As we all know, qualification on Saturday is the key to race performance on Sunday. The debate has raged this year as to whether the first session of qualification should be split but this now looks unlikely to happen. The back markers however, will have to be even more vigilant of their surroundings.

Several areas of the track have been re-surfaced but the road is always going to be bumpy and some of the kerbs around the Swimming Pool and Nouvelle Chicanes have been raised to prevent them being cut by drivers.

To win in Monaco you need a perfectly balanced car instead of massive straight line speed. Expect McLaren and Red Bull to be right on the pace all weekend. Ferrari and Mercedes have pace but whether their cars are subtle enough for Monaco remains to be seen. Because there is less requirement for top end speed this is a good chance for Renault and Force India to push the big four and they may cause an upset.

Williams and Toro Rosso seem a bit out of sorts at the moment and if Williams' aero package problems at Spain were anything to go by, don't expect a great deal of improvement this weekend.

At the back of the grid the 6 mobile chicanes will once again be raising the blood pressure of those towards the front of the grid. Expect plenty more "Charlie, Charlie......" radio calls this weekend. Virgin look set to continue with only one updated car. The battle between the three could be a lot closer here because again it's not all about speed.
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Monaco is one of my least favourite tracks but of course I'm still looking forward to the race.

I'm anticipating quite a few problems in Q1 due to traffic.
Expect a lot of flying laps to be aborted with multiple penalties for impeding being handed out.

Interesting fact:
"The Monaco Grand Prix provides the backdrop for a key scene in this summer’s Hollywood blockbuster release, Iron Man 2. Cars and parts of the circuit around the swimming pool section are destroyed in a battle between Iron Man and an arch-foe."
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I am not a fan of watching F1 cars circulating slowly, however I have to say I have nothing but fondness for the Monaco GP! :D It is incongruous and everything an F1 circuit shouldn't be, however it worked perfectly back in the 50's, 60's, 70's and to this day is a peerless test of driver skill, stamina and guts. It is just like marmite and some people don't like it but that doesn't detract from the fact that it is incredibly good and nourishing, contains so many things the body needs and is suitable for vegetarians! :D
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I'll just put this here whilst waiting for the Preview thread...

 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Before I really knew a lot about F1, back when I was a young whippersnapper, Monaco as a track really stood out to me.

It didn't enter my mind that there wasn't much overtaking, or that qualifying normally decided the race. All I saw were cars racing around tight to the barriers, and the action that some of the corners generated. I have fond memories of the cars coming off the start and piling up at Sainte Devote, before swinging along, up and around to casino.

Later on memories of Mr. Sato crashing in the tunnel come to mind.

Anyways, now I know a bit more on the face of things Monaco is a circuit typical of a track that I wouldn't logically favour. Despite this it still has a special place in my heart, and remains one of my favourites.
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I've always liked the Monaco GP. It's different from all other GP's*, providing the driver with no respite the whole lap and biting the driver on the :censored: for the slightest mistake. :)

And then you have the impossibly small paddock and titchy pit lane, to keep the teams' from being too comfortable and you have a test for driver, car and team. Marvellous! :D

* There may be other street circuits, but they are just bland like Valencia or flat, well, like Valencia! :rolleyes:
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Maybe this will help to create some pre-race excitement.

The last lap battle between Jack Brabham and Jochen Rindt at the 1970 GP.


Oh and if that's not enough, maybe the current weather forecast interests you :D
There is rain forecast from Thursday through the whole weekend...
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

First practice 1 results are in the standings thread.

A bit of a damp squib ending with many drivers unable to complete their last flying lap due to Kamui missing the chicane and introducing his car to the barriers, not for the first time this weekend I suspect :D
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Bizarre thing, as ever first practice is on Thursday with Friday being a day off for the F1 teams. Now I thought the cars couldn't run on Friday because of some religous event but the GP2 race is taking place tomorrow :shrug:
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

GP2 is a religious event. :goodday:

Weather forcast has completely changed, dry with sunny spells for Saturday and Sunday. :embarrassed:
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

From Wiki:

The Monaco Grand Prix is organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also runs the Monte Carlo Rally and the Junior Monaco Kart Cup.

It differs in several ways from other Grands Prix. The practice session for the race is held on the Thursday preceding the race instead of Friday. This allows the streets to be opened to the public again on the Friday. Until the late 1990s the race started at 3:30 p.m. local time - an hour and a half later than other European Formula One races. In recent years the race has fallen in line with the other Formula One races for the convenience of television viewers. Also, earlier the event was traditionally held on the week of Ascension Day. For many years, the numbers of cars admitted to Grands Prix was at the discretion of the race organisers - Monaco had the smallest grids, ostensibly because of its narrow and twisting track. Only 18 cars were permitted to enter the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix, compared to 23 to 26 cars at all other rounds that year.

So it would seem to be historically related to Ascension Day and also to allow the public to use the streets.
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

It is not Ascension Day this year though, I believe. So the public will get use of the streets tomorrow when Pastor Maldonado and Giedo van der Garde don't need it...
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Would it surprise anyone to learn that the fastest 6 drivers in GP2 this morning were all quicker than Bruno Senna in an F1 car?

What a crazy situation.
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I think it says something when some of the feeder sport entrants (or one of the feeder sports) into F1 are faster than some of the entrants in F1. If you can't set a faster time in an F1 car than you can in a GP2 car, should that F1 car be allowed to compete?

Do all F1 circuits host a GP2 event? Perhaps the qualifying cut off time for an F1 race should be setting a time faster than the GP2 pole, instead of people suggesting the old 107% figure?
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Roman Goujon was on pole for last year's GP2 race with a time of 1 min 19.498 sec, Chandhok managed 1 min 21.853 sec in first practice today. The Virgins and Lotuses were about as fast as the fastest GP2 cars from last year.
 
Re: 2010 Monaco GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Rumour has it that Senna has a problem with his chassis, hence why he's tectonically slow, as oppose to just being glacially slow...
 
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