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/

 

[johnnoble1990]

Grid drop anyone?

They shouldn't grid drop. Lewis lost places when Fernando hit him earlier in the season and they bizarrely both got penalised with 20 second penalties. He shouldn't have got a penalty that day, but it is a precedent.

 

[Galahad]

di Resta is holding his hands up to his own incident at the hairpin.

 

[FB]

Just a quick note to all posters - if this turns into a slanging match between people with different opinions on drivers and posts are made which are designed simply to engender a reaction they will be deleted. Please be respectful to all opinions even if you don't agree, after that's all they are - opinions.

Thanks

FB

 

[Sarinaide]

Grid drop or no points relegation, I think he will learn a lot more from a grid drop for the next race. I am sorry if the it appears to be picking on the Hamilton faithful, but really, all that has been posted, If Kamui did this, Di Reista etc etc then they should get punished to, yeah they did, the big problem here is that Massa and Maldonado are the big losers because of the decisions taken by Hamilton.......I think the Massa one is dealt with, but Maldonando's cannot go un punished.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Exactly DC. I think the disagreement Lewis is having is a result of different racing philosophy. The driver being overtaken should not turn in on the overtaker and that is exactly what he does. It is not likely he is being hypocritical. He is being consistent in his ideals of racing, and as the most exciting driver i think the FIA should have a look at that.

 

[Boyle]

DC made a good point there actually that Lewis was thinking he got out of the way for Michael and vice versa so why didn't anyone else do the same? Still think his move on Felipe was unnecessary though.

 

[Sarinaide]

They shouldn't grid drop. Lewis lost places when Fernando hit him earlier in the season and they bizarrely both got penalised with 20 second penalties. He shouldn't have got a penalty that day, but it is a precedent.

Yes but it was established then that Lewis pulled a double move, and Alonso was dead on for 3rd then so he lost out big time anyways......

 

[FB]

I'm sure the stewards will make a decision, perhaps when this has been published it would be a more worthwhile moment to discuss this rather than just finger pointing on here.

 

[Slyboogy]

They shouldn't grid drop. Lewis lost places when Fernando hit him earlier in the season and they bizarrely both got penalised with 20 second penalties. He shouldn't have got a penalty that day, but it is a precedent.

Different incidents, that is why the stewards can give 3 different type of penalties after the race.

The penalties they can give after the race, a grid drop for the next race, a time penalty, can't remember the other one

 

[johnnoble1990]

Grid drop or no points relegation, I think he will learn a lot more from a grid drop for the next race. I am sorry if the it appears to be picking on the Hamilton faithful, but really, all that has been posted, If Kamui did this, Di Reista etc etc then they should get punished to, yeah they did, the big problem here is that Massa and Maldonado are the big losers because of the decisions taken by Hamilton.......I think the Massa one is dealt with, but Maldonando's cannot go un punished.

From my point of view they could have stayed out of the way of the driver who had nowhere to go. Whether or not you think the overtakes were wrong, the only person who could stop the collision is the defender. Lewis was committed in both

 

[Sarinaide]

I'm sure the stewards will make a decision, perhaps when this has been published it would be a more worthwhile moment to discuss this rather than just finger pointing on here.

Fair enough!

 

[Incubus]

I never understand why people get so annoyed about hand waving, etc.

All drivers in all motorsport do it.

---------------------------------------------

Keke Rosberg spent half his racing life waving his fist at other drivers, but in his case I think it was mostly the effect of nicotine starvation.
Poor Keke, they just never gave him him a helmet with a little cigarette-hole...

 

[johnnoble1990]

I'm sure the stewards will make a decision, perhaps when this has been published it would be a more worthwhile moment to discuss this rather than just finger pointing on here.

My problem is with the rules though so i'm not going to like it anyway, unless they make the wrong decision according to the rules.

 

[FB]

Shame Keke didn't drive for Williams when they were sponsored by Niquitin - they could have shoved patches all over his body before the race

 

[Sarinaide]

From my point of view they could have stayed out of the way of the driver who had nowhere to go. Whether or not you think the overtakes were wrong, the only person who could stop the collision is the defender. Lewis was committed in both

Cutting a curb is not regarded as racing, Is Maldonado expected to anticipate Lewis curbing it into his side, and the Massa incident, the curb is not part of the race track hence the penalty.

 

[Sarinaide]

Shame Keke didn't drive for Williams when they were sponsored by Niquitin - they could have shoved patches all over his body before the race

Thats nasty

 

[FB]

My problem is with the rules though so i'm not going to like it anyway, unless they make the wrong decision according to the rules.

Your more than welcome to start a thread where we can discuss the rights and wrongs of the rule book John. I'm sure many would have an opinion on the cars being allowed to changes tyres before the restart for example.

 

[gethinceri]

di Resta is holding his hands up to his own incident at the hairpin.

That's the way to do it.

 

[Sarinaide]

That's the way to do it.

It was a welcome to F1 rude awakening.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Cutting a curb is not regarded as racing, Is Maldonado expected to anticipate Lewis curbing it into his side, and the Massa incident, the curb is not part of the race track hence the penalty.

If you think that was Lewis intention then clearly he was wrong, but on both occasion my real problem with the incidents is he was forced into those situations, which is not only anti-racing, but a little dangerous as well as we saw when Pastor ended up in the wall.

Think it is probably best if i leave it there. People know what i thought and as FB says i can make another thread on this and it would probably run for endless pages, but i think these incidents are always going to happen at such a tight circuit. At most other circuits the move is done by time we make the corner.