Poll 2016 Monaco Grand Prix - Out of Ten

[cider_and_toast]

My vote has been changed to a more realistic 7/10. Still extremely hacked off with RBR for screwing Danny's race again but my original 5 is unfair on Hamilton's drive which, with little tyre data, was well controlled and showed some great race craft.

 

[Lewywo4]

Really enjoyed it. Loads of action, tense. I was watching in a bar and let out a couple of screams. The best Monacco for a long time. Great strategy decisions, mess ups, crashes, safety cars VSC's and rain
Great performances by Hamilton, Ricciardo and Perez..

I'm giving it a 9 . It was a tense two hours.

racecub....You wasn't the only one very tense, and letting out screams during the race on Sunday. I nearly lost it in the latter part of the race, while Hamilton was leading, and he suddenly slowed down, because I didn't realize that a VSC was issued, as a result of that tarp being on the track. My initial reaction was a loud OH NO, NO please not another form of mechanical breakdown again, which was a very scary moment for me.

 

[Kewee]

Lewywo4
racecub

Don't panic, Hamilton's only 24 points behind with 375 to play for. Lewis is the favourite for his 4th title by a country mile. He will get the better of Rosberg and the other drivers who could threaten him aren't in competitive cars.

 

[Lewywo4]

Kewee....I'll try not too, because I've been sort of relived by Lewis's race performance yesterday.

 

[racecub]

Kewee Agreed, it's early days re the championship. It's just that race was all action, not what we've come to expect from Monaco. Lots going on and Different strategies. And yeah, I did want Lewis to get back on a winning streak. At the same time I still felt desperate for Ricciardo.

I think that race was probably quite sobering for Rosberg, practically lapped by the same car. It was a stark reminder of his weak areas. Changeable conditions, not able to look at Lewis' data and work towards it, and no longer able to be told by an engineer what Lewis is doing.

 

[Olivier]

I don't like Monaco all that much. Everything that is great about it has nothing to do with actual racing. I mean, the pictures are fantastic but the race itself is bordering boring. Yes, the result opens up the championship and yes Hamilton and Riccardo showed us some very good racing. But everybody knew once RedBull screwed Riccardo's pit stop there was no way he could have overtaken Hamilton. The start of race behind the safety car? unreal.

 

[teabagyokel]

Olivier - I've never felt a Safety Car changes too much at Monaco - a VSC could occur without anyone knowing...

 

[Olivier]

You may be right teabagyokel I can't help but feeling though, race official robbed us from the illusion of racing to the first turn at the start

 

[Bill Boddy]

racecub wasn't Rosberg hampered by a brake problem that prevented him from getting the tyres up to temperature? Do I also remember that when the rain came at Silverstone he was catching Hamilton hand over fist?

 

[EffWon]

I gave it an 8 as it was an engrossing wet-dry Monaco GP won by someone who didn't start on the front row; it felt like a classic, even if the latter stages didn't entertain as much as the first half.

As a Hamilton admirer, it reminded me a little of some of his final McLaren wins, up against a faster Red Bull, having to do something a bit different to win and making it stick against the odds. At the risk of being spoilt, watching him win in the best car isn't nearly as satisfying as it is to watch him scrap, especially as this win ended a dry spell stretching back to 25 Oct last year. Win #44 at Monaco felt special, and whilst I'm gutted for Ricciardo, who deserved to win, it emphasised one of the reasons why Monaco can be an incredible spectacle - the tension, drama and skill of navigating the tight, unforgiving layout means it's less about the quality of the racing, and more about the quality of the race. This race had all the classic Monaco tropes - rain making it even more treacherous, heroics from drivers holding other drivers by the skin of their teeth, pit stop drama, injustice, mistakes, badly-judged overtakes, bold strategy using track position - that's why I'm giving it a high rating.

 

[racecub]

racecub wasn't Rosberg hampered by a brake problem that prevented him from getting the tyres up to temperature? Do I also remember that when the rain came at Silverstone he was catching Hamilton hand over fist?

There was no brake problem. He couldn't get the tyres up to temp and that affected the brakes.

Yes I remember Silverstone, he was indeed catching him until Lewis made that decision to switch tyres at exactly the right time.

 

[FB]

You might want to have a read of this racecub

Both Nico and Paddy Lowe discuss a problem with brake temperatures. This might have been something as simple as not blanking off enough of the ducts with the lower ambient temperatures. Either way Nico had a problem which can't simply be put down to him not being as good as Lewis (even if he isn't).

One thing to commend Nico for was getting out of the way when instructed. Wasn't there a similar incident the other way round in Hungary last year and Lewis' response was "if he's faster let him overtake". Ah, working together for the team, you can't beat it.

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS - Stunning victory for Lewis Hamilton in chaotic Monaco Grand Prix

 

[marksawatsky]

The race probably deserved a 7 but I gave it an 8 because Monaco is usually dreadfully boring and this one was so good that not only did I follow it live on Autosports Twitter feed, but I watched it twice when I got back home. The best part is that Rosberg's lead was chopped.

 

[KekeTheKing]

 

[Hamberg]

I'm lost KekeTheKing did one of them say a number as that's your vote for the race?

 

[KekeTheKing]

Just thought it was relevant to the discussion going on.

I did already register my vote as well.

 

[racecub]

FB thanks, good read. But Paddy didn't say there was a brake problem, he said they didn't know why he was so slow, maybe a brake problem. Paddy wouldn't be so insensitive as to say in public that Rosberg was driving too slowly to keep the tyre temps up and that was affecting the brakes......but that's more or less what Rosberg said.
There's a bit more about it in this article under the section ' why was Rosberg so slow'.

'Lewis Hamilton shows difference between a good & great driver'

 

[KekeTheKing]

Certainly one of Hammy's best drives (currently rated 3rd in this SkySports article)

Lewis Hamilton's greatest wins: Rank your favourites!

 

[racecub]

I voted in that! I chose Silverstone 2008 as my very favourite. This Monaco was also up there for me, as was Bahrain and Austin 2012.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Some people would have real trouble rating Hamilton's wins. All races are a 10 but some are more 10 than others!!