Grand Prix 2011 Monaco Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Well how about that then, in a similar case in 2010 the doom and gloom merchants have vanished with a cracking grand prix in Spain. With the champagne still flowing we move on to Monaco a week later.

Mclaren will be a lot happier after running Red Bull all the way to the finish at a circuit where Red Bull normally run out of sight and could be favourites going into the Monaco race. Red Bull, however, will be the team to beat after 4 wins out of 5 races with Vettel looking unbeatable at the front but Spain showed that he wouldn't have it all his own way with Hamilton chasing him all the way to the end, even if Vettel extended his ever growing lead at the top of the championship

Ferrari seemed to have dropped back again after a superb start in Spain and eventually Alonso wound up 5th. But no doubt the Scuderia will be challenging the Mclarens and Red Bulls come the Grand Prix on Sunday. Felipe Massa's early season promise has vanished and he's back to his 2010 level and his seat will be back under scrutiny if he continues this lack of speed

Michael Schumacher will have reason to be optimistic after a strong race, beating his team mate and finishing a strong 6th as he best of the rest behind the Ferraris,Mclarens and Red Bulls. Mercedes no doubt have become the 4th fastest team over Renault who are now fighting over the lower points with Sauber and Force India.

However the big question on everyones lips will be DRS which didnt help overtaking in Spain (which is better) but more importantly where it will be placed on a circuit where straight track is at a premium so safety is a concern.

HRT continue to improve and are taking the fight to Virgin which for them is a massive achievement and its not long before they overtake them while Team lotus's optimism on Saturday didn't replicate on Sunday with a DNF for Kovalainen. But on a track where they would be weak, to get into Q2 is a massive achievement.

Hope seems to have returned to F1 after a surprisingly exciting race in Spain and it seems as if the feared Red Bull domination has been alleviated by the charging Mclarens and while Monaco is never a classic due to the nature of the track, it's certainly a spectacle

For Galahad's superb write up see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/circuit-de-monaco/

 

[Fenderman]

Somewhere in the bowels of my recent posts on this forum I unfortunately made a number of predictions. Whilst the DRS can't be held responsible for any of the crashes I, indeed we, predicted a crash fest not a race. I'm sorry for predicting Perez to be the first man out of the race and I didn't want his exit to have been as it was, even before raceday. I'm sorry also for not keeping my trap shut about a doubt I had regarding Maldonado (in the very same post). I'm sorry for predicting that the race wouldn't run the whole race distance as I assumed it would be timed out. I didn't count on Race Control cheekily stopping the clock! I predicted a procession which it would have been if the only overtaking had been clean and without contact, so I'm sorry I said that as well.

If you want to watch this kind of racing it happens every round of BTCC, WTC and at the dodgems when Benson's Fairground comes to town.

I kind of enjoyed it, but I have a sour taste in my mouth.

 

[teabagyokel]

Are penalties coming then?

I think Kamui and Lewis will both be penalised, and thus there'd be no change.

 

[johnnoble1990]

I can see Lewis being named Chump of the weekend despite getting a position he should've never been able to get. My Chump is definitely Massa for pushing Lewis round a corner, rather than giving him room, and then sending it into a wall while side by side.

I guess it is all about point of view, but i think the guy coming down the inside is unable to avoid the car that could go round the outside, but chooses to turn in. Ridiculous.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

I think Kamui and Lewis will both be penalised, and thus there'd be no change.

Unless they award grid drops for Canada

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Lewis will be unlucky to be chump but the people will only see the negatives and not the positives from this race.

 

[Brogan]

I don't think the points will change much but if it's grid drops for Canada then that would be harsh, considering drive throughs have already been awarded for similar incidents.

 

[johnnoble1990]

It would especially be harsh considering at the moment a 20 second penalty is the norm, which will leave Lewis where he is. He dropped places because of it when Nando hit him while he was defending. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but i'm getting close.

 

[Brogan]

Lewis on the forum now, and he's not happy.
Criticising the stewards and how many times he has been in to see them so far this season.

He just said, when asked why the stewards target him so much: "Maybe it's because I'm black"

I think there'll be repercussions for that.

 

[Fenderman]

Following on from my earlier post and considering the points astutely made by fellow posters above, particularly in relation to possible penalties for Lewis I take no pride in restating yet another blooming prediction I (and others) have made. The title chase will be over by silverstone. All Seb will have to do after that will be - if he doesn't get more pole to flag wins - is come 2nd or 3rd.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

He just said: "Maybe it's because I'm black"

I think there'll be repercussions for that.

He said that in jest but the FIA don't have a sense of humour

 

[johnnoble1990]

Yes Lewis!!! Get stuck in. Other than the joke about his race, it does seem he is being given penalties for everything. It is ludicrous and i'm glad he's speaking out against it. Lewis is a racer, driving under an authority of anti-racing FIA.

How can anybody think Massa and Pastor didn't do something dangerous and Lewis' only dangerous move was trying to overtake. Chump of the weekend, the FIA.

 

[Boyle]

Hamilton had a horrific weekend. He's showing some passion in his interview.

Just seen the replay of the Maldonado incident and Pastor shut the door way too aggressively for Lewis to do anything else.

 

[Legs]

I feel robbed of what should have been a great last 6 laps. I can't imagine why the teams were allowed to change the tyres, fix Hamilton's wing, etc., when the race was on hold. Surely there should be a rule that only blowers and tyre blankets shoud be allowed outside the pitlane?

 

[Boyle]

Wow, what an interview!

 

[Enja]

Lewis Hamilton needs to be more careful with his words. Joking about his skin colour being the reason he gets penalised could easily be misconstrued.

 

[Slyboogy]

What a race! That incident when the top 3 where coming through wooft!!! I knew something was going to happen 10 cars in a row, it was inevitable, Hamilton all over the place, the top 5 (don't know if Kobayashi will get penalised as he is under investigation) where great along with Maldonado.

Hamilton has been rattled all week ever since Spain, by why does he feel the need to wave his hand angrily at others when he is also at fault? Massa had to avoid Webber and yet Hamilton bangs wheel with Massa for most of the hairpin. Then against Maldonado he just sent up the inside hoping for Maldonado to get out of the way.

I think he needs to calm down, it's a shame as he is a great driver. I just watched the interview on the forum there, he should not have said what he did, McLaren need to control him he is just making matters worse.

But well done the top 3, I wanted Alonso to win it although I am not an Alonso fan, but Button and Vettel were also worthy winners.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Wow, what an interview!

He mirrored my thoughts since he joined the racing. It isn't because he is black, it is because he is aggressive.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Hamilton has been rattled all week ever since Spain, by why does he feel the need to wave his hand angrily at others when he is also at fault? Massa had to avoid Webber and yet Hamilton bangs wheel with Massa for most of the hairpin. Then against Maldonado he just sent up the inside hoping for Maldonado to get out of the way.
.

It's all point of view. Massa just pushed Lewis round the corner down at the hairpin, then Pastor blocked the space where Lewis was going while he was side by side.

 

[Galahad]

Yes Lewis!!! Get stuck in. Other than the joke about his race, it does seem he is being given penalties for everything. It is ludicrous and i'm glad he's speaking out against it. Lewis is a racer, driving under an authority of anti-racing FIA.

How can anybody think Massa and Pastor didn't do something dangerous and Lewis' only dangerous move was trying to overtake. Chump of the weekend, the FIA.

Are you serious?!!!

 

[Brogan]

why does he feel the need to wave his hand angrily at others when he is also at fault?

All drivers do it, and always have done.

I could show you footage of Alonso doing it at the US GP to Hamilton or to Petrov last season, all because he was unable to overtake.