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]

FFS!!!! THEY ARE SIDE BY SIDE FOR FIFTY FRICKIN METRES!!!!!! Jeeez.

 

[Slyboogy]

Fair enough but watch the onboard with Lewis, he is never going to make that corner in that angle without a collision, the same way Webber wasn't in Singapore

 

[Slyboogy]

FFS!!!! THEY ARE SIDE BY SIDE FOR FIFTY FRICKIN METRES!!!!!! Jeeez.

Fifty metres? More like 10-20, and you were saying I should go to specsavers!

 

[Fenderman]

Sly, whilst I have a shred of patience left in me I will proffer this advice. Before you respond, retort, fight fight back or just simply reply. Watch the race again on BBC iPlayer and pay particular attention to the part where Martin Brundle asks DC to explain what a driver should be doing when he is being hunted down/challenged by another. I think you will find it very interesting and, dare I say, educational.

 

[Slyboogy]

Sly, whilst I have a shred of patience left in me I will proffer this advice. Before you respond, retort, fight fight back or just simply reply. Watch the race again on BBC iPlayer and pay particular attention to the part where Martin Brundle asks DC to explain what a driver should be doing when he is being hunted down/challenged by another. I think you will find it very interesting and, dare I say, educational.

The commentray team that is known to have made many blunders the past 6 races

(Couldn't resist )

 

[Fenderman]

As commentary teams always do. but as an ex-F1 driver DC at least knows what he's talking about with regard to what they have to do when driving the car.

 

[Slyboogy]

As commentary teams always do. but as an ex-F1 driver DC at least knows what he's talking about with regard to what they have to do when driving the car.

The man with the afro knows what he is saying, never cross him

More importantly....don't ever cross with the afro....

 

[Brogan]

There comes a time when you need to just agree to disagree...

 

[no-FIAt-please]

How on earth did the stewards miss Maldonado's weaving!?

Those pictures comparing the overtakes on Maldonado/Schumacher are very similar up until they approach the corner where you can clearly see Maldonado take a very tight line, tighter than he would normally and he himself is almost touching the bollard, clearly (to me at least) he was going to push Hamilton into it.

This is how I read it...

To me the difference between Hamilton having a great race and the race he did was way the people he was overtaking reacted. Massa takes a wide line into the hairpin, touches Webber, Hamilton then sees this rare opportunity, looks like he might make it. Then Massa starts to go back to the inside and they come together, I don't why Massa didn't let Hamilton have the corner and then defend at the next corner as he was on the inside. Regarding the tunnel it just looks like he gets really poor traction, Hamilton cruises past as Massa tries go on the marbles which was utter madness. However Hamilton should have recieved and just about deserved a penalty for the incident as the stewards had to be consistent and it was rather similar to di Resta's.

However I think the collision with Maldonado was a racing incident and was about 50/50. Maldonado had been weaving his Williams up and down the pit straight and so clearly knew where Hamilton was, Hamilton then pulls alongside (get about half a car in) so Maldonado sees this and decides to squeeze Hamilton out of track, to the point of where he is on the edge also. Hamilton hits the bollard and Maldonado comes out of it worse. Racing incident in which Hamilton deserved no penalty, but if one were reading the rule book then one should give Maldonado a penalty as he made at least 2 moves on the run down to Saint Devote.

 

[Brogan]

Looks like the Hamilton v Maldonado incident is being analysed to death...

 

[The Enforcer]

I equally admire and worry about anybody that would go to these lengths, Hamilton fan or otherwise. (Where did you find this Brogan)?

Whilst it is interesting to see the evidence, the fact remains it's happened, it's in the past and it will be a cold day in hell if anyone thinks they'll get an appology from the FIA.

It's been said over and over that Hamilton needs to choose his battles and he should have questioned Maldonados experience before making the same move as the one he completed against a 7 times champion. (Despite the contact Michael has had for the last 18 months).

 

[teabagyokel]

Can I ask when the last time a driver in front was at fault for a collision, according to the stewards?

 

[Brogan]

(Where did you find this Brogan)

That was posted on Twitter.

Can I ask when the last time a driver in front was at fault for a collision, according to the stewards?

I guess the point that's being made is one move was hailed as a masterful piece of overtaking.
Whereas an identical move was classed as reckless and deserving of a penalty.

The only variable in each case were the actions of the driver being overtaken.

If Maldonado had given another metre of space on his right, it would have been hailed as two fantastic overtakes.

 

[Galahad]

All of which is fine, except I don't believe either Maldonado or Massa drove into him on purpose. If Hamilton has the awareness to leap out of the way when Schumacher tries it on, then good for him, perhaps his expectations of the other drivers are too high.

 

[Brogan]

Oh I don't believe they did either, they just expected him (Hamilton) to hit the brakes presumably when they turned in.

BTW, Williams Technical Director Sam Michael called it a racing incident.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

BTW, Williams Technical Director Sam Michael called it a racing incident.

Good to hear that teams (or individuals within the teams) can have their own opinion which doesn't neccessarily agree with their drivers.

 

[Galahad]

In the circumstances I think Michael is being very generous.

I just think it was an ill-judged move, whether it was worthy of a penalty or not. Hamilton may believe that this is what his fans want to see; he could be right, but such moves are doing no good for Lewis Hamilton himself.

 

[Brogan]

I just think it was an ill-judged move

Disregarding the drivers for a second, that could be an interesting topic for another thread; should drivers only go for absolutely guaranteed passes, with no possibility of mistake, collision, etc?

I'll let someone else start it though

 

[Galahad]

Disregarding the drivers for a second, that could be an interesting topic for another thread; should drivers only go for absolutely guaranteed passes, with no possibility of mistake, collision, etc?

I'll let someone else start it though

...and that's not what I said!

 

[Brogan]

Hmmm, I obviously misunderstood then