Monaco In Verse

It’s the Monco Grand Prix, the grandest of the races on the calendar. Let us take a lyrical lap.

The Lights Go Out, The Tyres Burn

Sainte-Devote The Very First Turn
Is There A Crash, How Many Cars?
Your Safely Through To Beau Rivage

Inches From The Barrier At Massenet

The Cars They Jostle, Positions Are Set

Into Casino A Sweeping Curve

Mirabeau Next Will They Hold Their Nerve

Slow Right Down Approach The Hairpin

Grand Hotel Spectators Shout And Sing

Its Portier Next As They Enter The Tunnel

Heading For Novelle, Into The Chicane They Will Funnel

Sweep Round The Harbour Through Tabac

Then Louis Chiron, There’s No Turning Back

The Swimming Pool Section, No Time For A Dip

They’d Better Slow Down, Thats My Only Tip

Because It’s Rascasse Next, The Cars They Slow

Then Its Off Through Noghes And Off They Go

Through The Grid For Another Lap

As The Crowds They Scream, They Cheer, They Clap

This Is Monaco Full Of Glamour And Speed

These F1 Legends Are Brave Indeed

The Barriers So Daunting And The Crowd So Near

Negotiating The Streets, Drivers With No Fear

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

Why Alonso racing in Indy is great for everyone

courtesy of McLaren Honda F1

Why Alonso racing in Indy is great for everyone

If you are anything like me, or us, then you can’t help but be thrilled to watch a solitary car, running lap after lap, on the least interesting track circuit you could ever design. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a step up from a straight drag strip, but not a scratch on the Senna S or the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel series.
This weekend Fernando Alonso will be swapping the streets of Monaco for the oval of the Indy 500. It’s a move which has got people talking and tuning in. The move is a smart on from McLaren, Alonso and Zac Brown. Yes, Alonso is missing the biggest publicity and marketing race of the year, but there are so many positives to come out of it.

1) Over two million fans tuned into watch Alonso going around the Indy circuit. He was by himself. Lap after lap, all on his lonesome. Just one car on the whole circuit. Yet two million people chose to give up their time. To find the website or channel which was showing the practice session. Then to watch with intermittent commentary and long delays between action. The fans brought into the whole idea from the moment it was announced.

2) The difference in Alonso is obvious for absolutely everyone to see. He must have been getting bored of answering the same old engine questions after every trip to the track. How many different ways can you try and put a positive spin on having the worst engine on the grid by a large chunk. Then how do you put a positive spin on not even making it to the lights to start a race. But every word out of Alonso’s mouth is now positive and you can see the rejuvenation of the man right in front of our eyes. He should return to the F1 grid with a new spring in his step.

3) There has been a swell of positive press towards McLaren because of the Indy angle. If you have a look through all of the racing sites and magazines, there isn’t enough space to put the negative stories about McLaren or Honda. Every inch is filled with the orange decals of Alonso’s Indy car. The retro scheme has been warmly welcomed by everyone from the professional drivers, the press and the fans. People are talking about McLaren in a positive light again.

4) McLaren’s recent upturn in positive publicity might be the key to them finally getting a few more high profile sponsors. Dare we even dream of them finding a new title sponsor, just like Ron promised all those years ago. Honda, Jonny Walker, Chandon, Hilton Hotels and SAP have all been given this little extra push and are going to be reaping the rewards of the extra publicity and screen time. There is even a great article in Forbes exactly on this theme. A title sponsor or even just a major new sponsor could be the key push that McLaren and Honda need to break into the points sooner.

5) We get to see Jenson Button racing again. It’s no surprise that I’m a huge Jenson Button fan, the man is one of the best respected people in the paddock and has always been jovial on camera and at public events. It just seems like he is a genuinely nice man. A British World Champion, driving for a British F1 team is always going to get the British fans behind him, then team that up with his public persona and there was only one man to support for those years. His last race at the end of the 2016 season was met with the feeling that we didn’t know if we would see him race again or not.

6) Motorsport has been making front page news, it’s made Radio 1 news beat and non-racing people are talking about it. The publicity generated from one man, doing one race, all the way over there in America, has been huge. The more column inches and time spent during the news talking about motorsport is only going to be good for the sport. We’ve just had the tragic news of Nicky Hayden, and it’s a shock to the system, but the best way to bounce back and to recover is to look at the positives. Alonso in Indy is a huge positive for every aspect of motorsport.

7) Alonso has a chance to show how great a driver he is again. How and why is a two-time world champion, struggling to drive the paint of a car which is barely worthy of even being on the grid. McLaren have actually produced a very competitive car, their pit-crew can now change an engine wearing blindfolds and oven gloves, but nothing makes up for a power unit which is seriously lacking power. Now for one weekend only he has been given a competitive car and surprise, surprise he is the top rookie. He’s qualified in fifth in his first every oval race and has barely put a foot wrong. He’s grazed the walls in turn two a few times, but he’d be doing the same in Monaco this weekend. It’s called pushing the boundaries. We’ve yet to see what will happen over the weekend, but getting the car home will be a success in our book.

8) It has completely taken the pressure off of Honda for a few weeks. No-one has even mentioned Honda’s lack of engine power as the attention has been taken off of their F1 woes and transferred over to the Indy success. Hopefully, they have been able to use this time to produce a highly competitive engine which can return McLaren to the points at the very least. Honda have spent the last few years getting a shoe-in from the press due to their lacklustre engine, but these weeks have been a turn-up in fortune and press for them.

9) Ron Dennis was a great figure head for McLaren, from the moment he came in from Project 4 and took them to multiple world champions, he was amazing. He was the right leader at the right time and he steered the ship in an amazingly successful way. But the time came for him to move on and the new bosses are remarkedly different to the old guard. Would Ron have let Alonso miss Monaco? Would Ron have allowed him to run in a car which wasn’t simply called a McLaren. Zac Brown has ushered in many changes at McLaren and a lot of little differences have been noticed from the outside. From as simple as employees posting photos of their offices and the MTC on social media, right up to Fernando’s American trip.

10) The best thing to come out of Fernando racing in the Indy 500 is the extra time we get to sit watching racing this weekend. We can pretty much go from Saturday morning at 8:45 until well into Sunday night. The more racing we can watch on a weekend, the better.

Whilst Alonso racing in the Indy 500 might just seem like a driver trying his hand at another race, but the positive merits are being felt far further afield than just inside Alonso’s cockpit. However it ends on Sunday night, it’s been a success if he can return to McLaren and race for some points in Canada.

Andy Robinson

 

Monaco Track Preview

Image courtesy of Red Bull Racing

The winding streets of Monaco are preparing to host their 75th Grand Prix this weekend, and what a track it is.

The picturesque circuit, stretching over 3.337 kilometres and consisting of 19 mostly low-speed corners and a flat-out tunnel, is Formula 1’s contribution to the infamous Triple Crown of Motorsport, and has featured some of the sport’s most notorious victors.

None more so than the man who holds the most wins around the circuit, the great Ayrton Senna.

The Brazilian claimed six victories in Monaco during his decade-long career, and potentially could have secured a seventh if it were not for Le Mans royalty Jacky Ickx, who red-flagged the rain-sodden 1984 race without consulting fellow track stewards, allowing Senna’s arch-rival Alain Prost to pick up a half-points win on lap 27.

Senna’s half-dozen Monte Carlo victories went some way to secure McLaren’s dominance over the iconic track.

The Honda-powered team currently leads the way in terms of constructors wins with fifteen, six ahead of nearest chasers Ferrari, however it is highly unlikely McLaren will extend that number this weekend even though the circuit will not punish their lack of power as much as others on this year’s race calendar.

It will in fact most likely be the Driver’s Championship contenders Sebastian Vettel and two-time winner Lewis Hamilton, who currently holds the record for the fastest ever lap set around the track—a 1:17.939s achieved last year—that will be contesting for number one spot come the end of the 78-lap race.

Red Bull can possibly expect to mount a challenge if their set-up, which has hindered them on several occasions so far this year, is correct—with maximum emphasis on downforce this weekend due to low tyre wear.

As potentially should have been witnessed during the Spanish Grand Prix a fortnight ago, Monaco will see the return of the red and purple-striped Pirelli P Zero—an appearance that will please drivers following their frustration with the manufacturer after the conservative decision in Barcelona to run soft and medium compounds.

No matter what it will surely be another thrilling instalment of the Monaco Grand Prix, which will celebrate hosting the race for three quarters of a century on Sunday.

With just four points between both Vettel and Hamilton at the top of the driver’s standings, it is sure to provide another twist in the tale for the 2017 World Championship.

By Joe Owens, F1 Correspondent

 

Ferrari have a chance to write the Monte Carlo script

Image Credit: Zak Meuger/LAT/Pirelli Media

How fitting that Formula One heads to Monaco around the time of Cannes Film Festival just mere miles from the principality.

As with Cannes and the film industry, the Monaco Grand Prix is arguably the most glamorous setting for F1’s main characters to produce another masterpiece such as those celebrated in Cannes..

And boy, have Ferrari given us something to get us out of our seats this season.

Where in the previous years of the turbo era Mercedes could walk off into the distance, the Prancing Horse have had something of a revival.

Each of the five races in 2017 have been filled with enough intrigue to get even the judges at Cannes out of their seats, and like all good films, the ending has often been difficult to predict.

Indeed, despite Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton winning the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago, Ferrari can arrive in Monte Carlo in confident mood once more.

Pitting under a Virtual Safety Car brought out by Stoffel Vandoorne aided Hamilton no end, as his Mercedes on faster tyres and having taken six seconds out of Vettel meant a lot of the hunting was done for the Brit.

The Silver Arrows were said to have brought a raft of upgrades compared to the developments made by Ferrari, yet Hamilton qualified just half a tenth quicker after a promising start to the weekend.

With Vettel taking the lead at the start, Hamilton and Bottas weren’t exactly all over the German four-time champion like a cheap suit.

Once he did get ahead, Hamilton did not simply gallop away into the distance and Ferrari still harboured hopes of a win until the final eight laps.

Both Ferrari drivers have stood atop of the podium in Monte Carlo before, with Vettel taking the honours in a crazy 2011 race and Kimi Raikkonen in scintillating form for McLaren back in 2005.

However, you have to go back to 2001 for the last time the Scuderia won in Monaco, courtesy of Michael Schumacher.

This season represents one of their best chances to end that drought, and around the casinos of Monte Carlo, their ability to nurse tyres may prove to be their trump card.

With it confirmed that Ferrari are in the title fight for the long haul, they have another chance to provide their own plot twist this weekend.

Jack Prentice @JPrentice8

 

Monaco Grand Prix, Let the Party Begin

GP MONACO F1/2016 – MONTECARLO 29/05/16
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

The famous race of Monaco is taking place this weekend in Monte Carlo, a race which almost every motorsport driver wants to participate and win it, it is like Indy 500 and Le Mans. It is not a very demanding circuit for the cars, but requires high concentration from the drivers. There is no space for overtaking and any mistake might be crucial for the driver and the car.

The king of Monaco is Ayrton Senna with six victories, followed by the Mr.Monaco and Michael Schumacher who have won the race five times.

Monaco Grand Prix is one of the oldest circuit on Formula One’s calendar, the first race held in 1950 and traditionally the first two free practice sessions held on Thursday instead of Friday.

Lewis Hamilton holds the lap record with 1:17.939. Last year, Lewis stopped Rosberg’s domination in Monaco, the German have won the Monaco Grand Prix for three consecutive times, but the Brit despite that he started the race third, behind Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Rosberg, managed to take the chequered flag and celebrate a victory in Monte Carlo. The race started behind the safety car due to a rain which occurred before the race.

Daniel Ricciardo finished second behind Lewis Hamilton, followed by the Mexican driver, Sergio Perez, who secured a podium finish for Force India.

Circuit De Monaco

Number of Laps: 78

Circuit Length: 3.337 km

Race Distance: 260.286 km

Lap Record: 1:17.939 (Lewis Hamilton – 2016)

Tyre allocations: Ultrasoft (Purple), Supersoft (Red), Soft (Yellow)

Jenson Button will cover Fernando Alonso’s absence, who decided to take part in the Indy 500 and qualified 5th. The British driver will return to Formula 1 after a few months of absence and he will be able to complete some laps with the MCL32 during the free practice sessions before the race on Sunday.

“It feels slightly surreal to be back in the cockpit for the Monaco Grand Prix, when the call came from Eric, there was no hesitation. It’s a totally unique situation and a great opportunity. I’m looking forward to stepping back behind the wheel for one of the most crazy, unpredictable and exciting races of the year.”

Button promised to Alonso that he will do his best to look after his car. Alonso misses the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time since 2001.

Monaco is a good opportunity for McLaren to score their first points of 2017, it will be interesting to see if Button will manage to do that in his 2017 debut with McLaren-Honda.

GP MONACO F1/2016 – MONTECARLO 29/05/16
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Monte Carlo will also give the chance to Red Bull to try to secure their first victory of the season, as it is a track which is not suitable for overtaking, so the qualifications plays a critical role every year.

Max Verstappen – “There is no such thing as a low risk lap in Monaco, it doesn’t exist if you want to be fast because you have to be on the limit. Last year’s crash was very unfortunate but it doesn’t affect my confidence heading back there, it just makes me want to do better this year and learn from my mistakes. We still have a lot to learn from the car in terms of setup as it is always developing and we haven’t driven it on a tight street circuit yet. Preparation for Monaco is a little different, you definitely build up a little bit slower throughout the weekend and pace yourself. It’s important to find the limit carefully. With the new cars I think the chicane around the swimming pool will be the most challenging corner this year.”

Daniel Ricciardo – “In theory I could walk to work while we are in Monaco, it is still a bit of a way but it could be done. Luckily for me though we get boats to the Energy Station which is a nice change. Being able to sleep in your own bed and complain about the noise is also a treat. Monaco is definitely my favourite track to drive, it is so tight and intimidating. From the outside some of the sequences look impossible to go through at the speeds we do. Once you are in the car it’s an amazing feeling. If you kiss the wall it actually makes you want to do it again as opposed to scaring you. The whole spectacle of the weekend just makes it something unique and special.”

Victor Archakis- @FP_Passion

Images Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media

Spanish GP Winners and Losers.

Images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsports

Spanish GP winners

F1 – After a disapointing Russian GP two weeks earlier, the fans finally got to see some action with plenty of overtakes and on track action with the help of Pirelli also we got to see 2-3 pit stops, allowing for different strategies to add to the intrigue. Also letting that small Kimi fan into the paddock was an excellent gesture from a sport looking to find its human side once again.

Force India – Fantastic early season form continued for the pink panthers, with a strong race ending with Perez and Ocon finishing fourth and fifth. They kept their noses clean throughout the race while their rivals took each other out and had problems of their own. They extended their lead from over Williams in the constructors championship, and are on course for another superb season.

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel – What another fantastic battle we witnessed from these to great guys. Right from lights out when Vettel got the jump at turn 1. Then after Vettel made his pit stop rejoining the track squeezing Hamilton out wide fairly and then we had 6 laps of Lewis chasing down Seb finally getting past him in turn 1. Hope this battle will continue all season long.


Nico Hulkenburg
– starting p13 finishing p6 and keeping out of trouble, it was another strong showing for Hulkenberg who scored more points for an upwardly mobile Renault team, with teammate Jolyon Palmer yet to open his account for 2017. The car seems to be getting better and better each race with the team bring small upgrades. Will we soon see him fighting Perez again.

Pascal Wehrlein and Sauber- Wehrlein took eighth and the best finish of his career – as well as Sauber’s best finishing position since 2015 – mainly thanks to their strategy when the Virtual Safety Car was deployed to switch him to a 1 stop strategy. It was a very important points finish for the team and their battle with McLaren for ninth in the constructors championship.

Losers

Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen – both men were unlucky victims of a chain reaction as Bottas tapped Raikkonen sending him into the path of Verstappen ending both of their races, with Ferrari falling behind in the Constructors’ Championship as a result.

Valtteri Bottas – race winner two weeks ago in Russia for the first time, Bottas suffered a DNF with engine failure after technical problems throughout the weekend.

Jolyon Palmer – It was another case offeast or famine in qualifying for the beleaguered Brit as he failed to get out of the first qualifying session for the fourth time in five events. Finishing in 15th while his teammate finished in a strong points finish will have done him few favours either. Palmer is a man fighting for his seat after an error-prone start to the season.

Williams – This was a poor weekend all round for the team. They failed to score while Force India bagged 22 points. With Massa getting a puncture on lap 1 after contact with Alonso, he dropped right to the back of the pack and could only finish 13th. Teammate Lance Stroll struggled once again, and the 18-year-old looks ever more troubled during his first season in Formula One. In this unforgiving business, the young Canadian is under pressure to improve – fast.

By Richard Hindson

Joe’s Midweek Round up…

Hello and welcome to the second edition of The Crew’s Formula 1 Bitesize brought to you by The Pit Crew Online, and what a week it has been.

Last Sunday gave us arguably the best race weekend of the season so far. From Fernando Alonso’s sublime qualifying, to the first corner overtakes and antics, strategic masterclasses from Mercedes and Sauber, and McLaren did not have any Sunday reliability issues – crazy I know.

It wasn’t all good for McLaren Stoffel Vandoorne has received a grid penalty ahead of Monaco for his collision with Felipe Massa. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that he may have been caught out by the Williams’ Mercedes power.

But this update is not about the races as such, the Crew have all of that covered already. This is for what you may have missed in the week surrounding race and non-race weekends.

During this week’s bitesized report we cover some interesting Red Bull news, as well as comments from my favourite Austrian, Toto Wolff.

So, without further ado, let’s get cracking!

2021, The Four Numbers on Red Bull’s Lips

Red Bull Racing chief Helmut Marko has stated that the team may quit F1 if there are not significant changes planned for engine regulations ahead of the 2021 season.

Sport officials are already in talks regarding alterations for the power units after 2020, but the third-placed constructors’ championship sitters have some suggestions of their own after seemingly being left behind due to the Renault’s lack of power.

“The idea is very simple”, the energy-drink boss told El Confidencial.

“We want an engine that is 1000-horsepower, with a single standard KERS and battery, and development does not cost more than $15 million to $20 million.

“They should have sound and allow the driver to make the difference. And independent companies like Ilmor and Cosworth should be able to enter so that we or McLaren can use them if we want.

“Last year, Mercedes would not give us an engine; neither would Ferrari, and Renault was only forced by [Bernie] Ecclestone to give us one.

“We want to have an equal situation where we are not blackmailed by a manufacturer.”

It certainly would be a shame to lose Red Bull from the sport, however, these comments seem driven from a lack of progression in a season that offered promise in challenging Mercedes due to more focus on Aerodynamics.

It appears then that Marko is unimpressed with how things have panned out, but it feels like he is holding F1 to ransom because they have not been able to take advantage of the rule changes in the same way the Silver Arrows or Ferrari have.

The pinnacle of motorsport is certainly in transition under Chase Carey’s leadership and undoubtedly improvements will be made, however, Red Bull only have themselves to blame for the underwhelming start they have made to the 2017 season.

RB13 is Still Some Time Away

Staying with Red Bull and their underperformance, the team have announced that the major updates that were planned, but did not feature in Barcelona, will now not appear until the Austrian grand-prix in early July. All about Austria this week – great place.

Minor changes will occur ahead of Monaco and a low downforce package will debut in Canada, however, it will not be until the energy-drinks’ home race in just under two months’ time before we see the big RB13 upgrade with the team hopeful that Renault’s improved power unit will also be available.

“If we could turn the power up full, we would not be far from Mercedes and Ferrari”, an unnamed team member told F1i.com.

“But because of reliability, we can’t do it yet.”

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo may as well have been racing by himself on Sunday, finishing over 75 seconds behind winner Lewis Hamilton – clearly emphasising how much needs to be done if Christian Horner and his team want to challenge for any titles again in the near future.

Wolff: Alonso Could be a Mercedes Driver in 2018

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, my favourite Austrian, has not ruled out the king of frustration, Fernando Alonso, joining the current constructors’ champions ahead of the 2018 campaign.

The two-time world champion has made no attempts in hiding his disappointment with this season’s McLaren car, particularly the sheer lack of power available from the Honda engine which averaged around 7mph slower over the 66 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya compared to number 44.

In the past Wolff and Niki Lauda have ruled out the fiery Spaniard joining the Silver Arrows due to a potential personality clash, particularly with ex-teammate Hamilton, however now the 45-year-old has now stated that nothing is off the table.

“You cannot say ‘no’ in advance – that would be stupid”, the Merc boss told Spanish newspaper Marca.

“What you can say is that if he is not the best, he is one of the best out there. His energy and motivation are still there.

“He’s in the final stages of his career, but that does not mean he cannot win races and titles in the next two or three years.

“If you could choose the Fernando today as he is, as a person, it would be much easier than to choose him with all the historical context.

“Lewis plays a key role in this. I think a driver always accepts a challenge, and Fernando would be a challenge.

“But it’s much more than just Lewis feeling right with Fernando. The whole dynamic of the team is important. Everything has to fit, but I think Fernando is a different person to how he was in the past.”

Alonso has already shown he still has the passion to prove his capabilities by competing in the Indianapolis 500 and attempting to complete the motorsport triple-crown.

It would certainly be interesting to see the old-timer back in the seat of a title challenging car, however with a number of leading drivers available in 2019, Wolff and co. may find it more beneficial to hold off for a younger superstar.

Final Word

It has been another hectic week in the world of F1, including a stunning Spanish Grand-Prix on Sunday. We will catch up again same time next week with more news and views on the biggest stories of the week, and, just in case you are wondering, no I am not Austrian.

Until next time!

18/5/17

Images courtesy of McLaren Honda F1 Team

Zandvoort Return: Invest For Max?

In article two of this mini-series we look at the possibility of Formula 1 to return to Holland.

Teenage sensation Max Verstappen in his rookie season burst onto screen in Australia 2015, scoring first points in his second Grand Prix in Malaysia. Verstappen had a successful campaign. His do or die attitude on track made him at times the centre of attention. With events early in season of 2016 he moved from Toro Rosso to Red Bull mid-season. Driving for them it created iconic moments such as his win in Spain & drive in Brazil he truly became a crowd favourite. Max Verstappen undoubtedly looks like he has the talent to be a future world champion.

Sergio Perez was similar to Verstappen, amazing drives earlier in his career at Sauber, especially at Malaysia, Canada & Monza of the season 2012. This rejuvenated the popularity of the sport in his home country Mexico. In following seasons a revival of Hermanos Rodrigues came to discussion, originally planned for 2014, but with time constraints placed on the calendar for 2015. Using that as a guideline could we see a return to the Netherlands in the next few years?

Liberty Media are seeking an increase in the calendar, we have two possible options, being existing tracks of Zandvoort, hosting the Grand Prix in the past and Assen. Zandvoort would be the logical choice as Assen is steriotypically more focused on bikes, and it being closer to the capital of Holland, Amsterdam. The track is graded Level 2 as by the FIA as current, making Formula 1 the only series that isn’t compliant. The main event that is run annually at Zandvoort is the DTM series in August. Interest tends to be heightened around this race due to Formula 1 having its summer break and crowd levels are very high at the event.

The track has changed in many ways since the most recent Dutch Grand Prix in 1985 which Niki Lauda won in the McLaren from starting tenth on the grid, he narrowly edged team mate Alain Prost by 0.2secs, which resulted in some great racing! On track from those changes though little needs to be looked at, the current track layout (See above) has high to medium sweeping corners to begin, in this age of Formula 1 would truly be a great spectacle. The latter half of the track is where downforce would be more key. Looking at the track, the long sweeping final corner could raise alarms, you could see something similar being put in place as like Catalunya/Barcelona in 2007. A slower chicane to break up the excessive speed, and also be put in place to increase the chance of overtaking along the pit straight. A possible DRS zone has been put in place on the current track layout on the picture earlier in the article.

Recently off track since that year the start/finish grandstand and pit area has had substantial amount of work to it to bring up to modern standards. Further work around the area would certainly be something required to comply with level 1 FIA grading. Zandvoort currently has a half hourly train service to and from central Amsterdam, with a small population, areas around the track for usability and access to the track need to be looked at as this also comes into consideration with the grading system that is used.

That is why Formula 1 could once more race in Holland, please keep an eye out for more articles in this series in the not too distant future, we will be looking at the possibility of Kyalami, Formula 1 returning to South Africa for the first time since 1993.

Chris Lord
16th May 2017.

Picture courtesy of Pirelli Motorsports

Andrew Hone photography

Magic Monaco Moments – Panis 1996

In the 1996 season this race will long live in the memory of any Formula 1 or Motorsport enthusiast. Williams prior to the event had dominated, taking 5 wins from 5 with eventual 1996 world champion Damon Hill taking four of them. Michael Schumacher & Ferrari were hot on the heels of the British based team though, he took pole for the Grand Prix. Various teams were struggling over the weekend in particular Ligier, the team were suffering with misfiring issues with the Mugen Honda engine they ran, a resulting in a poor qualifying session for Olivier Panis & team mate Pedro Diniz.

In the 90’s prior to the race like MotoGP still has, Formula 1 had a warm-up session, Olivier Panis in the session looked very strong, in fact the Ligier was quickest with teams making adjustments throughout the session as they know the bad weather was on its way. Drivers had issues though in the weather, the likes of Mika Hakkinen crashing, Forti-Ford driver Andrea Montermini did serious damage which actually prevented him from taking part in the race.

The track was wet, and drivers managed to get an understanding of the track, so on the grid they lined up. Jos Verstappen in the Footwork took a major risk starting on slicks, even though track was far from it. It was a clean get away at the front with Damon Hill jumping pole sitter Schumacher, but looking further down the field with Verstappen being on the slicks a first corner incident was inevitable. We lost him and the Minardi’s at Ste Devote, the first corner of the Monaco track. To look at what an idiotic choice that was, no other driver chose to run the slicks until lap 26.

The next driver to hit the wall was a surprise, renowned as the ‘rain miester’ Michael Schumacher was pushing hard to make amends for a poor start but he hit the wall coming out of the hairpin. This was a very uncharacteristic mistake of the German, this error then gave Hill control of the race. Further incidents and mechanical issues ensued, such as Rubens Barrichello also crashing on lap 1 and Pedro Diniz retiring with transmission problems, only 13 of the 21 starters running after 5 laps of the 78 lap race.

A gap was forming across the field, due to the horrible conditions, bigger gaps than normal. Eddie Irvine was holding a few cars up struggling in the overcast weather. Hill was in total control, the race settled down for 20 minutes with rhythms beginning to form. The track then dried, and Hill only briefly lost the lead on lap 30 to Jean Alesi after switching to slicks as Alesi decided to go later before making the switch. Another notable development was that Olivier Panis and other drivers managed to overtake the slow Irvine on track, something of rarity at Monaco.

Hill on lap 40 had a whopping 30 second gap to second placed Alesi in the Benneton, who was having a quiet race amongst the drama that had been taking place around him. Hill looked like he was going to make it 6 from 6 for Williams and continue their dominance but then…. Out of the tunnel a cloud of smoke followed the Williams driver’s car, an oil pump failure had happened. This then promoted Jean Alesi into the lead in the Benetton, well known for his win in 1995 at Canada in a Ferrari. He continued to lead for the next 20 laps seeking a second win, but then even further mechanical issues and it was the Frenchman’s suspension. This ruined Alesi’s hopes and no chances followed, therefore his only win being in 1995 at Canada.

Although! Great news for France, fellow countryman Panis took the lead after this retirement, who started 14th. He led David Coulthard in his first season for Mclaren by around 5 seconds and it looked like a battle could ensue. Eddie Irvine capped an awful race for himself and an eventful race by spinning and coming back on track was hit by Finn Mika Salo, in turn hit by fellow Finn Mika Hakkinen.

We were down to four running! The race wasn’t going to be completed as the two hour time limit was going to come into play. Heinz Harald Frentzen decided to enter the pits as he was a lap down but was officially classified along with Salo and Hakkinen. This left only three drivers to see the chequered flag. Olivier Panis winning his one and only race, with Ligier’s first in fifteen seasons. British duo David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert completed the podium in their Mclaren and Benetton cars. Coulthard had pre-race drama of his own, his iconic Scottish helmet was steaming up making it impossible to drive, he ended up borrowing Michael Schumacher’s spare!

Monaco 1996 holds the record for the least amount of cars to see the chequered flag of three, and most retirements in terms of percentage of the field at 85%. Truly a race to remember, which can be noted as one the best races ever. Raw pace wasn’t the factor this time like it normally is, Monaco 1996 was more about pinch of luck with reliability, and keeping your car in control amongst the barriers of Monaco.

Chris Lord
16 May 2017

Spain proves that Ferrari are here to stay

Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Sunday 14 May 2017.
World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images (Via Pirelli Sport)
ref: Digital Image _ONZ6499

Ferrari have made 2017 interesting.

The first five races have all had intrigue and uncertainty surrounding them, and even if not all have been harum-scarum humdingers they’ve all been much more than watchable.

In 2016, the debate was all about which Mercedes of recently-retired World Drivers’ Champion Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton would win the race.

Now though, and especially with Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari have altered that equation somewhat.

With more luck, Vettel could have had four wins from the opening five races.

As it is, the reinvigorated German has had to settle for two, and three second places in a relentless start to 2017, while Hamilton hasn’t had it all his own way with Valtteri Bottas as teammate.

Mercedes had come to Spain more bullish about their chances of victory after a raft of major upgrades including a new sidepod design and front wing, and indeed that ended up being justified.

Ferrari had also brought upgrades but the consensus is that the Scuderia had made fewer changes than the Silver Arrows.

Many will argue that Mercedes’ victory came only because of a Virtual Safety Car thrown to recover the stricken Stoffel Vandoorne from the outside of the first corner, not as a result of pure pace.

Mercedes worked the strategy well and while Vettel manfully held out, using his elbows on pit exit, it was only going to be a matter of time before Hamilton, on faster tyres, breezed past.

That he didn’t drive away was telling.

Vettel had half a chance until, and not for the first time this season, he found the Williams of Felipe Massa parked in an awkward place at Turn 10 with five laps left.

The race was on a knife-edge until the end, and proved that Ferrari’s early season form was no flash in the pan.

Six points separate Vettel and Hamilton at the top of the standings in the four-time champion’s favour.

With Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen keeping their respective teammates more than honest, 2017 is shaping up to be the closest season in five years.

Let the battle commence.

Jack Prentice @JPrentice8

 

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