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]

Scary stuff and that was with the "car splitter" modified!

Right now, TBY, here's another one for you to help me with. Who was it who speared straight toward that same armco having shed all of the front suspension and wheels of his Renault (or it might still have been a Benetton Renault at the time)? Oh, and when, and have you got that juicy bit if footage?

 

[teabagyokel]

Do you mean this one:

 

[tranquility2k9]

Interestingly, Hamilton has never been on pole at Monaco in F1. He has obviously only raced there 4 times in F1, but in 2007 he was 1.5 tenths behind Alonso and in 2008 he was 0.5 tenths behind Massa. I think the only time he has had a real chance to be on pole was in 2007 when Alonso beat him (I can't remember who was fueled lighter). In 2008, the Ferrari's were quicker at that point, in 2009 he had a shocking car, even though he ditched it in qualifying, I don't think pole was on the cards and then in 2010, the MP4-25 was not too good round Monaco.

I'm sure he wants to emulate Senna and get a few poles there - hopefully he'll have a car that will at least allow him to use his talent and fight for pole.

 

[MCLS]

In 2009 he probably should have got pole ironically, he was one of the fastest as the track was kind towards the MP4-24

 

[tranquility2k9]

If the DRS is banned during the Tunnel then which other places do you think drivers will use the DRS during qualiying? Obviously the starting straight, but the only other places I can see are the climb up and through Beau Rivage, and possibly Red Bull at some point during Tabac?

Can any of you see that happening or any other places where the DRS could be used?

If it isn't able to be used much then that alone should cut some of Red Bull's qualifying advantage.

 

[teabagyokel]

It is a weird world where we're talking about Drag Reduction in Monaco. Weird world!

 

[tranquility2k9]

In 2009 he probably should have got pole ironically, he was one of the fastest as the track was kind towards the MP4-24

I'm not sure he had a car to get on pole, it was just much better than at Spain, where he went out in Q1 I think. His team mate Kovi was either ahead or close to him all throughout practice and he qualified 6 tenths off pole, which at Monaco is quite a lot. In recent years, 6 tenths can be the difference between 1st and 8th at Monaco.

 

[MCLS]

Wasn't he up in sector 1 before he hit the barriers?

 

[downforce]

I think in 2007 he was actually on course to get pole but was impeded by Webber?

 

[Fenderman]

Sorry, a bit late getting back to this, TBY. Yup, that's the baby! You've done it again. With a mind like yours I don't need mine!. Actually, I sense the possibility of some nice teamwork going on here.

 

[Brogan]

Turn 1 at Monaco right now.

Apparently Heidfeld was driving

 

[downforce]

lol did something happen to his exhaust?

 

[KekeTheKing]

Didn't they bring the super softs in 2009?

I was just thinking about this last night, and I plan to watch the opening segment of the 2009 race today at some point.

If memory serves, Vettel had to pit on Lap 9 because his Bridgestone Super-Softs were shot. I don't think anyone else had this much of a problem, but if someone could get the Bridgestones to go off in less than 10 laps, we should see the Pirelli Super-Softs shredded in an even shorter amount of time.

My bold prediction is that whoever makes the MOST pit stops will WIN the race.

 

[Brogan]

It might even be worth not going out in Q3 to save a set of tyres.

Oh what a crazy situation F1 is getting itself into...

 

[downforce]

Heidfeld isn't going to bother qualifying again.

In spain he started from the back and finished in the points while his teammate qualified in the points and ended up out of them.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I reckon we'll see a few people really attempt not to qualify at a race where the hard tyre is brought and the track lends itself to overtaking. Heidfeld only recovered so well because of the large difference in lap time between the soft tyre and the hard tyres.

 

[downforce]

Hamilton sounds pretty confident and is aiming for back 2 back wins

http://www.sportinglife.com/others/...s/11/05/24/AUTO_Monaco_Nightlead.html&BID=678

Although I guess he can hardly say much else to the media

 

[MCLS]

It's a possibility, seeing as the race after is Canada, one of Hamiltons most succesful tracks, he's never been off pole there

 

[Brogan]

That burning truck pictured above actually damaged the brand new tarmac at the turn in point to St. Devote, the first corner.

Urgent repairs are under way.
Let's hope it doesn't start falling apart during the course of the weekend.

 

[Galahad]

Is there really such a huge difference between brand new soft tyres and soft tyres that have done a qualifying lap? Perhaps there is, I don't know, but it feels like maybe the case is being overstated somewhat.