This weekend is Monaco, yeah the track is tight and in reality it’s more of a money printing exercise by F1 with a noisy interlude on Sunday afternoon to give everyone an excuse to be there.
As a fan of F1 it’s a very special place, qualifying is important and the race to Saint Devote on the first lap is incredible to watch. It’s a wonderful challenge for the driver and any race fan should have it on their “to-do” list. Not quite as atmospheric as Monza or as entertaining as Spa, but it’s a unique race in a very special place.
As a mechanic it’s a pain in the arse. The tiny rabbit hutches in the pit lane were replaced a few years ago, but they used to be big enough to storing a few things while the cars were running and that’s about it. Nearly all the work on the cars actually takes place in a garage a significant distance from the track. Despite all the issues, it’s still an event everyone looks forward to.
There is a unique atmosphere and it’s a special place with lots of tradition to go along with the Casino, multi-million dollar yachts and the royal family. The only problem is I won’t be there.
No one was quite able to touch Red Bulls in qualifying this year. All five pole positions and 8 out of the 10 front row places so far have gone to Weber and Vettel. Control the front row, stay out of trouble and you’ve a huge advantage.
Their advantage over the rest of the field appeared to have widened still further with the installation of an effective and comprehensive upgrade package at the Circuit de Catalunya. The other teams are certainly playing catch up with regard to qualifying. The Red Bull race reliability has not been the best; Vettel had brake problems last weekend that cost him dearly. This is a circuit that’s incredibly hard on cars in general and brakes specifically.
Jenson Button had a poor race in Spain, he won at Monaco last year and said this week “I think the Monaco result is extremely tough to call, there are a lot of very competitive drivers so there is a good chance of a slightly unpredictable race.”
Lewis Hamilton was running a rather comfortable second to Webber in Spain when a tyre deflation caused him to crash on the penultimate lap. Hamilton also has the usual high hopes for Monaco.
Hamilton said “Qualifying will be more important than ever. While we’re still working hard to improve our qualifying pace, Monaco is a place where the input of the driver is more important than at any other track, so I’m pretty confident that we’ll be able to do a good job.”
McLaren has won fifteen times in Monaco, so far this year the car seems reliable, if they do well in qualifying and be consistent in the race there is the opportunity to make it 16 and either makes Buttons lead on the championship a little more secure or put Hamilton right back in the thick of the race.
It’s 9 years since Ferrari won here, however Alonso has won twice here. His Ferrari was second in Spain and he’s constantly been among the best qualifiers so far this year. Maybe it’s his weekend.
Monaco is always unpredictable, and that fact on top of the atmosphere, boats, parties and thong bikinis makes it a very fun race to watch. Nelson Piquet never won the race, he said “It’s like trying to cycle round your living room”, but added “a win here was worth two anywhere else”.
Maybe next year…