Grand Prix 2013 Monaco Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

After the excitement of Spain the GP circus moves on to the glamour of Monaco, the longest serving race on the F1 calendar. Monaco, I'm sure, is probably the most testing circuit of the season for the drivers. Hurtling millimetres from unforgiving armco barriers at speeds of up to 180 mph, trying to wrestle 700 plus horsepower engines through tight and twisty corners with no hint of a run off area and having to cope with going from broad daylight into a tunnel with your foot planted hard to the floor before bursting back into the sunlight metres from probably the tightest chicane on any track, anywhere.

It is, almost certainly, the most marmite race on the season. Many love the glamour, the history and the challenge for the drivers. Others feel it is an anachronism in 21st century sport, that it is dangerous and doesn't show F1 at it's best with virtually no opportunity to overtake anywhere on the circuit. Whatever your feelings toward Monaco it isn't going anywhere soon and, I believe, is the only race which can thumb it's nose at FOM when they come along asking for money to allow the race to run. As important to Formula One as Ferrari apparently.

The battle at the top of the WDC leader board has closed up post Spain. Fernando Alonso & Ferrari were outstanding in the Catalan race and the team chose exactly the right tactics to help him win on home ground. Red Bull looked out of sorts, third best behind the Ferrari's and the Lotus Renaults (in Kimi Raikkonen's hands at least).

The tyres should probably not have quite so much of an influence on the racing in Monaco as they have in other races so far this season and Pirelli are planning changes to the rubber to give a maximum of 3 pit stops. Maybe this will help Mercedes, who appear to suffer most of the top teams with decaying rubber. Either that or Ross Brawn should remove the cheese graters Adrian Newey screwed on next to the tyres on the Merc when no one was looking.

If Mercedes manage to show the one lap pace they have elsewhere this season this could be their best chance for a win as they can lead a train around the track. However, it's hard to see past Alonso and, without some mistakes and mechanical failures, you can imagine he would have a VERY healthy lead in the drivers race by now. Perhaps the better driveability of the Renault engines will allow Lotus and Red Bull to mount a more serious challenge to Ferrari. Could someone like Force India spring a surprise, or McLaren? Sorry Macca fans, a little joke there. I shouldn't get your hopes up.

Meanwhile, down at the back. Aww, who cares as long as they get out of the way when being lapped, or get in the way depending on which driver arrives behind them. No safety cars so far this year, some how I'll be shocked if Monaco doesn't give Bert Mylander his first outing.

So Monaco, remember FP1 and 2 are on the Thursday as Friday is a religious holiday for Monegasques. Who'd have thought all those millionaires were so religious. Hope you all enjoy the race, or doing the ironing or gardening if it get's too dull/exciting (delete as appropriate).
 
Regarding the tyres, the changes won't be happening until the British GP at the earliest, so the compounds will be the same for Monaco.
 
Last year at Monaco, all the leaders went for a one-stop strategy, stopping around the lap 30 mark, except for Vettel, who stayed out until lap 46 and got up from 6th to 4th as a result.

Webber chugged around out in front about 2 seconds off of a representative pace and kept a train of five cars immediately behind him throughout.

There, I've given it the big build-up for you.
 
Basically after qualifying it's all about the undercut. I hope people paid attention to the lesson that Alonso taught last year... While everyone was sat on the car ahead's gearbox fruitlessly, Alonso backed off in the middle sector each lap and saved his tyres. Come pit stop time, he cruised up onto the back off Hamilton and had enough life left in his Pirellis to set a lap way faster (something like 3 seconds if I remember correctly) and jump the McLaren.
 
Last year at Monaco, all the leaders went for a one-stop strategy, stopping around the lap 30 mark, except for Vettel, who stayed out until lap 46 and got up from 6th to 4th as a result.

Webber chugged around out in front about 2 seconds off of a representative pace and kept a train of five cars immediately behind him throughout.

There, I've given it the big build-up for you.
Wasn't last year due to a threat of rain though - ie everyone being cautious with strategy and wanting to preserve their tyres, just so they wouldn't get caught out by a shower?
 
Indeed - and it did rain in the last few laps - but tyre degradation has traditionally been low enough to make one stops a realistic option, even I suspect on this year's Pirellis.
 
I have my concerns about Monaco this year... if the tyres drop off like they done at each race do far this season... we could see a serious accident or two... the fella's are going to earn their keep in two weeks...
 
FB - It has the longest consecutive run of any F1 circuit due to the moron who thought an Italian GP at Imola is in anyway a good idea.

You could actually not notice a Safety Car period at Monaco. We'll all be praying for degrading tyres when Hamilton is going three-and-a-half seconds slower than the pace, holding up the entire field.

And I watch it every year, fool that I am...
 
I am sure Red Bull won't complain about the tyres if their car wins the race hopefully not as flukey as 2011 after a bungled stop they went for 1 stop and the pile up saved Vettel

I am expecting to see a few trains of cars from Sauber and Force India going 1 stop

Yeah they won't run the DRs out of the tunnel down to the chicane which is the only real passing pass not Ste Devote

the old Monaco at least punished cars for mistakes the wider run adds nothing to it
 
I have my concerns about Monaco this year... if the tyres drop off like they done at each race do far this season... we could see a serious accident or two... the fella's are going to earn their keep in two weeks...
I'm not too concerned about tyre safety at Monaco, I think drivers will get enough warning through feel to avoid any serious accidents, my concern is Spa. I hope they find a solution before then. Imagine a tyre letting go in the run through Eau Rouge considering the top drivers take it flat. Scary thought. :(
 
Well maybe they could get the cars to run through the pit lane every lap so Eau Rouge doesn't put such a strain on the tyres, or maybe they could add a chic......hmmmmm, p'raps not.
 
Kewee ... my main concern isn't delamination or an exploding Pirelli ... much greater concern is someone getting over eager to pass someone on older rubber and taking a risk ... and it going all pear shaped... with no wiggle room at Monaco ... just like we saw at boring boring Barcelona... the track with no passing... there will be passing at Monaco... probably more than even seen before ... and we will RUIN our impeccable 2013 record of keeping that pesky Safety Car idling away adjacent to pit out...

I just have a feeling that there will be at least one major bingle...
 
ZakspeedYakspeed......Could get tricky for sure though I think there's enough experience at the front of the field to avoid trouble. The ideal for Alonso would be to get himself on the front row or at least be leading at the first corner with a Mercedes directly behind him. He would be able to drive away from a Mercedes that would act as a block for the following pack. :) Problem number one of course is if Vettel is on the front row and Alonso gets blocked from chasing by a Mercedes. That's why I say Monaco can become a lottery, though in saying that regardless of their positions the pitstops could change everything. It was Alonso's superb out-lap at Spain that put him in front of Vettel, the same could happen at Monaco though traffic can spoil those plans on such a tight circuit. :victory:
 
This is how I predict the race going.

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