Monaco Grand Prix – Race

May 28, 2006 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

If you read my notes on Qualifying or saw the session yourself, you’ll know about the controversial conclusion. Well, after 8 hours of debate, the stewards have decided to penalise Michael Schumacher. [Official FIA site]

The BBC website has some interesting quotes from other F1 drivers, past and present; for example, “It was the cheapest, dirtiest thing I have ever seen in F1. He should leave F1 and go home.” – Keke Rosberg, 1982 world champion.

There were other penalties handed out too – GF lost his best time for blocking during qualifying.

The revised grid now looks like this: FA, MW, KR, JM, RB, JT, DC, NR, GF, RS, CK, VL, JB, JV, NH, CA, TM, SS, TS, FMo, FMa, MS*

*MS will actually start from the pit lane after an engine change overnight.

Formation lap:
FA leads the cars around on the formation lap.
The grid forms up; MS is now at the exit of the pit lane.

Very long hold for the guys at the front

01/78: FA leads into Turn 1
Everyone’s safely through the first corner
MS passes FMo on the inside of the hairpin

02: FA, MW, KR, JM, RB, NR, DC, GF
TM pits for a new nose cone
KR passes MW on the uphill – a very brave and unusual move!

03: KR sets fastest lap 1:17.475
MS is already up to P16, behind JB

04: FA f/lap 1:17.071
FA, KR, MW, JM, RB, NR, DC, GF, JT

05: FA f/lap 1:16.751
KR just 0.5s behind FA

06: FA f/lap 1:16.472
KR f/lap 1:16.348
MS still 0.5s behind JB

07: RB is a long way (>10s) behind JM and looks to be holding up NR & DC

08: RB is dropping even further back from JM; now 12s

09: Replay shows TM had his front wing removed by MF1 teammate CA

10/78: FA, KR, MW, JM, RB, NR, DC, GF
MS still 0.4s behind JB who is in P15

11: FA f/lap 1:15.924
RB now 15.5s behind JM
Only the two front-runners are lapping under 1:17

12: FA f/lap 1:15.671
RB is still holding up NR, DC & GF

13: FA & KR lap TM
ITV-F1 report TM has been using some “choice language” about his teammate and that first lap incident

14: FA’s lap of 1:17.243 shows how hard it is to even pass a back marker

15: FA’s lead over KR is still ~0.5s
MW is now 1.7s behind KR, with JM 2.3s behind him

16: FA laps FMo, so his lap time is 1:17+ again

18: “Drive through penalty for car 19 (CA) for causing an avoidable collision”, referring to the lap 1 incident

19: CA takes his penalty, letting FMa past

20/78: KR f/lap 1:15.325
FA, KR, MW, JM,RB, NR, DC, GF; no retirements so far
ITV-F1: “amazingly no problems for MS at Rascasse after 20 laps”

21: MS passes JB into the chicane, taking P15

22: JM pits from P4 – 8.8s – rejoins still in P4, ahead of RB
Ferrari mechanics getting ready, and the McLaren guys stay in the box after JM leaves

23: KR pits from P2 – 10.3s – rejoins in P3

24: MW posting personal fastest laps, so he’ll be pitting shortly
NR pits from P6 -10.3s – rejoins behind MS

25: FA pits from P1, so MW leads the race – a quick stop (under 8s)

26: MW pits from P1 – FA retakes P1 – rejoins in P3
KR back to 0.6s behind FA
The top 4 have pitted but not many others have

27: KR is closer to FA now than he was before their pit stops

28: MS still behind JV
Renault pit crew getting ready – must be for GF
GF pits from P7 – 10.7s – rejoins behind NR for P15

30/78: FA, KR, MW, JM, RB, DC, JT, CK
DC pits from P6 – rejoins between JV and MS
FA seems to be struggling with the new tyres

31: MW has closed up to KR, with 1s covering the top 3

33: JM is catching the lead group

34: NH is also leading a train of cars – NH (P8), RS, VL, JV, DC, MS, GF, NR (P15) – all covered by ~4s

36: GF takes a look at passing MS
MS thinks about attacking DC out of the tunnel

37: FA still lapping in the mid-1:17s, but they’re also tackling backmarkers
Ferrari crew getting ready
MS pits from P13 – 8.1s – new tyres still with stickers on them – rejoins in P19

38: FA lapping FMa

39/78 (half distance): FA, KR, MW, JM, RB, JT, CK, NH; no retirements

40: The leaders have now caught up to the NH-NR 7 car gaggle
GF nips past DC, just as Renault teammate FA was approaching – making the most of the blue flags

41: RS pits
GF passes NR using the same trick – they must think it’s FA
NH pits

42: Can GF use the same trick on VL?
CK pits

43: JB pits
VL’s pit-car radio confirms that it’s GF behind him and not to yield
GF lets FA past into the chicane but pulls back in front of KR
KR passes GF before Rascasse

44: MW is trying to keep up with FA & KR, but he’s having a harder time passing the midfield

45/78: FA, KR, MW, JM, RB, JT, CK, GF

46: Replay shows DC’s front wing clipped GF’s rear as he was being passed
JV pits
RB & JT pit together from P5 & P6 – RB leads the pair back out

47: MW’s pit-car – he’s frustrated at the lack of blue flags

48: MW finally gets past GF, that’s ~3 laps after FA & KR got past

49: MW slowing as he starts the lap; pulls over with the car on fire
Safety Car deployed because the Williams is at the end of the pit lane

50/78: FA & KR pit, as do lots of the others
They have to cross the yellow line to avoid the stricken Williams

51[SC]: FA, KR, JM, RB, JT, CK, DC, MS
KR pulls off track – he’s on fire too!
The marshal is trying to put the fire out but KR sees the cars have all passed him and lets the car roll across the track and off to a safe area

52[SC]: FA, JM, RB, JT, CK, DC, MS, GF
Lights are off on the SC – coming in at the end of this lap

53: FA gets the green flag for the restart
MS is behind FA on track but he’s actually a lap down in P7
JM (P2) has 5 cars between him and FA
During SC period TS retired in the pits

54: Yellow flags for NR who got in wrong in Anthony Noghes and stuck his Williams in the wall

55/78: FA, JM, RB, JT, CK, DC, MS, GF
FA’s lead is 12.1s

56: FA opens his lead to 13.7s

57: ITV-F1 says JV is under investigation but no official pop-up as yet

58: MS putting in personal fastest laps in P7 and a lap down
CK pits but the Red Bull dies in the pit entrance – so much for the Superman colour scheme

59: “Drive-through penalty for car 17 (JV) for passing under the safety car”
MS f/lap 1:15.931

60/78: FA, JM, RB, JT, DC, MS, GF, NH
Retirements: TS, MW, KR, NR, CK
JV takes his penalty
ITV-F1 interview NR – apparently the throttle was stuck open

61: FA’s lead now 15.4s over JM
MS is still behind FA on the track, so if he keeps putting in faster laps this could be interesting

62: Only FA, JM, RB, JT & DC on the same lap

63: “Car 11 (RB) under investigation”
Replay shows an MF1 (CA?) shove a Super Aguri (FMo) off line!

64: “Drive-through penalty for car 11 (RB) for speeding in the pit lane”
RB takes his penalty – that’s knocked him off the podium

65/78: FA, JM, JT, DC, RB, MS, GF, NH

66: MS and GF have both unlapped themselves
FA still has a 14.8s lead over JM

67: MS is now ~17.8s behind ex-teammate RB
ITV-F1 interview MW – “very disappointed, of course”

68: FA continues to lap at about 1:17, fractionally faster than JM

69: ITV-F1 interview CK – “gearbox problem”
MS takes 2s out of RB but he’s still 14.5s behind and there’s only 10 laps left, so he might get close but can he pass RB for P5?

70/78: FA, JM, JT, DC, RB, MS, GF, NH
Retirements: TS, MW, KR, NR, CK

72: Gaps: FA 16.3s JM 33.8s JT 2.6s DC

73: GF still ~4s behind MS; MS now 9.4s behind RB
Yellow flag for a Toyota – JT has stopped on track – replay shows he lost drive coming out of San Devote

74: FA, JM, DC, RB, MS, GF, NH, RS

75/78: MS now 5.2s behind RB
MS f/lap 1:15.143
Still no problems taking Rascasse for MS

76: MS now right on RB’s tail – just 0.4s behind with less than 3 laps left

78/78: Final lap: FA has a 16s lead over JM
Chequered Flag: FA wins!
JM takes P2
MS locks up into the chicane trying to close on RB
DC takes P3
MS still harrying RB but they take P5 and P4 respectively
P6=GF, 7=NH, 8=RS, 9=FMa, 10=VL, 11=JB, 12=CA, 13=SS, 14=JV, 15=TM, 16/last=FMo
Retirements: TS, MW, KR, NR, CK & JT

DC looks stupid in the Superman cape – I’m surprised they let him on the podium like that

No spraying of champagne, in honour of Edouard Michelin who died a couple of days ago.