Paul Henman formula1 Monaco Grand Prix – Race

Monaco Grand Prix – Race

There are just two penalties to apply after Qualifying:

  • Ericsson qualified 22nd, required to start from pit lane for causing a collision (with Massa). [source: FIA]
  • Bianchi qualified 19th, drops 5 after gearbox change. [source: FIA]

So the revised grid is: ROS, HAM, RIC, VET, ALO, RAI, VER, MAG, KVY, PER, HUL, BUT, BOT, GRO, MAL, MAS, GUT, SUT, CHI, KOB, BIA, ERI* (*starting from the pit lane)

Air temperature 20°C; track 45°C; wind 1.3m/s; humidity 45%
Tyre compounds this weekend: prime=soft (yellow lettering), option=super-soft (red)
My GridBids picks are: BUT, ROS, HAM, GRO

The front 10 cars are all starting on the option tyres on which they set their best time in qualifying. Behind them it’s about half and half on primes vs options.

ROS leads away on the formation lap
MAL has stalled on the grid – he was P15 but he’ll start from the pit lane too now
The grid reforms, curving around the main “straight”

01/78: Clean start
Great start from ALO – up to P6 by turn 2
PER tagged by SUT(?), spun into the barrier, partially blocking the track
Safety Car deployed

02[SC]: ROS, HAM, VET, RAI, RIC, ALO, MAG, VER, KVY, HUL
GRO and SUT into the pits

03[SC]: Marshals have almost finished pushing PER’s car into a run off area
SC in at the end of this lap
ROS backs everyone up and then bolts for the line

04: Green flags for the restart
VET is being passed
Radio from VET – no power

05/78: ROS, HAM, RAI, RIC, ALO, MAG, VER, KVY, HUL, BUT
VET into the pits; frustration clear over the radio
HAM pressuring ROS already; RAI is 2.5sec behind HAM
MAL didn’t restart the car

06: HAM fastest lap 1:21.053
VET rejoins just behind the leaders; radios his engineer to say he’s stuck in 1st gear
Turn 5 incident involving cars 11 (PER) and 22 (BUT) under investigation – causing a collision

07: ROS f/lap 1:20.461
VET still nursing his Red Bull around the circuit
Radio for VET – retire the car; bring it back to the pits

08: ROS f/lap 1:20.312
VET pits and retires

09: Radio for ROS – good job on tyre temperatures

10/78: ROS, HAM, RAI, RIC, ALO, MAG, VER, HUL, BUT, BOT
SUT dives down the inside of GRO for P18
Incident involving PER and BUT will be investigated after the race

11: Incident involving cars 4 (CHI), 17 (BIA) and 21 (GUT) under investigation – cars out of position on the grid

12: ROS f/lap 1:20.082
KVY pits – looks like he’s retiring the Toro Rosso
SUT dives inside ERI for P17 – repeat of his move on GRO

14: Thermal image camera on-board RIC shows how the tyres aren’t as warm as other races because of the lower speeds

15/78: ROS, HAM, RAI, RIC, ALO, MAG, VER, HUL, BUT, BOT; retirements: KVY, VET, PER, MAL
Lotus say MAL’s problem was related to the fuel system

16: Radio from HAM concerned about his rear tyres

17: SUT attacking CHI for P15
SUT dives inside at the chicane – takes the position

18: Big lockup from ROS
Radio from HAM asking why he’s going slower

19: GRO closing on ERI
5 second stop/go penalty for cars 4 (CHI), 17 (BIA) and 21 (GUT) – out of position on the grid
Presumably they were out of position because they filled MAL’s spot when MAL was pushed into the pit lane

20/78: ROS, HAM, RAI, RIC, ALO, MAG, VER, HUL, BUT, BOT
The stop/go penalties are served as part of their scheduled pit stops
Graining visible on both ROS and HAM tyres

22: Looks like HAM is closing on ROS again
ROS locks up again – twice at Mirabeau but makes the turn, whereas in Q3 he took to the escape road and brought out yellow flags

24: Radio for HAM asking him to make a setting change; HAM asks for “a setting I can stay on”

25/78: ROS, HAM, RAI, RIC, ALO, MAG, VER, HUL, BUT, BOT
GRO pits – 2nd stop
SUT lost the tail coming out of the tunnel – smacked the barriers and wrecked his Sauber

26: Safety Car deployed
Pit lane is going to get very busy

27[SC]: ROS pits
HAM hung back a bit, slowing everyone behind him so he won’t lose too much time waiting for his teammate’s stop
Toro Rosso release VER with a McLaren right alongside – incredibly dangerous!
Radio from HAM – why didn’t we box the lap before?

28[SC]: Radio from HAM asking for options – no scheduled pit stops so it’s a race to the end
Lapped cars can overtake the SC – cars 8 (GRO), 9 (ERI) and 4 (CHI)
Won’t unlapping effectively wipe out their stop/go penalty?
Radio from HAM – should have pitted on the lap (having seen the accident but before the SC deployed)
RAI pits again

29[SC]: Incident involving cars 26 (KVY) and 20 (MAG) under investigation – unsafe release
…but KVY retired a few laps ago – they must mean VER
MAS is the only one not to pit under the SC

30[SC]: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, MAS, VER, MAG, HUL, BUT, BOT; retirements: SUT, KVY, VET, PER, MAL
SC in at the end of this lap
HAM almost rear-ends his teammate as ROS slows everyone down ready for the restart

31: Correction: Incident involving cars 25 (VER) and 20 (MAG) under investigation – unsafe release
Replay of MAG passing VER but weren’t they still behind the SC at that point

32: HUL past VER into the tunnel – takes P7

34: ROS f/lap 1:19.425

35/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, MAS, VER, HUL, MAG, BUT, BOT
HAM f/lap 1:19.361
Drive-through penalty for car 25 (VER) – unsafe release
Toro Rosso ought to get a huge penalty for that unsafe release – very dangerous, especially here!

36: BIA forces his was past KOB in Rascasse – contact 3 times!

37: Radio for KOB – take care not to cut the chicane (duh!)

38: VER serves his drive-through penalty; drops from P6 to P12 but BIA squeezes through and VER now P13

39: HAM sitting inside 1 second gap from ROS
Half distance
MAS still yet to pit

40/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, MAS, HUL, MAG, BUT, BOT, GUT; retirements: SUT, KVY, VET, PER, MAL
GRO inside KOB for P14; ERI got past too
ALO closing on RIC

41: Radio for ROS warning him fuel will become critical unless he starts using longer gears
HAM just 0.7sec behind ROS

42: CHI slithering out of the chicane

43: Radio for HAM – yet another switch change

44: Radio for ROS concerned about his fuel use again

45/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, MAS, HUL, MAG, BUT, BOT, GUT
MAS must pit soon, surely? They’re hoping for a SC to reduce the cost of the stop

46: MAS pits from P5; good stop; rejoins P11 ahead of BIA

47: ROS closing up to lap CHI
Radio for HAM telling him that ROS is lifting & coasting into turn 1 and turn 3
Caterham say KOB sustained rear damage when BIA pushed his was past

48: VER all over the rear of BIA as the battle over P12

49: VER taps the rear of BIA in the hairpin but both continue OK

50/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, MAG, BUT, BOT, GUT, RAI; retirements: SUT, KVY, VET, PER, MAL
CHI has cut a couple of corners on the past few laps – expect a warning soon

51: Smoke from VER’s Toro Rosso as he comes out of the chicane

52: VER pits and retires

53: HAM continues to harry ROS – the gap is under 1 second again

54: Radio for ROS – fuel situation stabilised; keep doing what you’re doing
RAI closing on GUT for P9

55/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, MAG, BUT, BOT, GUT, RAI
BOT locks up slightly into the chicane

56: BOT holding up GUT, RAI and MAS
BOT cut the chicane as GUT dived down the inside

57: Smoke from BOT’s engine and a couple of laps later he parks the Williams – will there be another SC?

58: Marshals crane BOT’s car away under yellow flags

59: Car removed; yellow flags removed
Radio for MAS – expect car ahead (RAI?) will get a penalty at end of race

60/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, MAG, BUT, GUT, RAI, MAS; retirements: BOT, VER, SUT, KVY, VET, PER, MAL
Incident involving car 17 (BIA) – serving 5 second penalty under safety car

61: BBC says RAI’s 2nd pit stop was because of puncture
GUT spins coming out of Rascasse – puncture

62: Marshals on track trying to clear GUT’s car but no sign of SC 🙁

63: Marshals still on track – why no safety car?
Race control: DRS disabled
Yellow flags removed – GUT’s car cleared
Race control: DRS enabled

64: BIA now P10 but under investigation for serving penalty under SC

65/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, MAG, BUT, RAI, MAS, BIA
KOB pits

66: 5 second stop/go for car 17 (BIA) – taking the previous penalty when the safety car was deployed
Mercedes team in the pit lane!?
Radio from HAM – “can’t see out my left eye”!!!

67: HAM didn’t pit – hopefully his eye is OK

68: HUL has MAG and BUT right on his tail
HAM has dropped to 5.5sec behind ROS

69: Radio for BUT – HUL struggling with rear tyres; watch for RAI closing from behind
ROS about to lap RAI (P8)

70/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, MAG, BUT, RAI, MAS, BIA; retirements: GUT, BOT, VER, SUT, KVY, VET, PER, MAL
CHI pits – stop #3

71: Radio from HAM asking for gap; told RIC 8sec behind; “don’t care about RIC, tell me gap to ROS”
RIC f/lap 1:19.252
Radio for RIC telling him he’s 5sec behind HAM, will catch him

72: RIC still closing on HAM – 3.5sec gap

73: HAM has a gaggle of back markers just ahead of him
HAM locks up

74 = 5 laps left: BUT past teammate MAG for P6
RAI inside MAG at the hairpin – RAI hits the barrier – stops both of them
RIC all over the tail of HAM

75/78: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, BUT, MAS, BIA, GRO, MAG
RAI pits – new nose
HAM sliding his Mercedes as he fights to stay ahead of RIC

76 = 3 laps left: Incident involving cars 7 (RAI) and 20 (MAG) will be investigated after the race – causing a collision
RIC just a couple of feet behind HAM

-2 left: KOB moves aside as HAM and RIC blast past
RAI f/lap 1:18.479 on new tyres

Final lap: ROS safely 8.8sec ahead of the HAM/RIC battle

ROS takes the chequered flag; back-to-back wins in Monaco
HAM holds off RIC for P2

Provisional result: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, BUT, MAS, BIA*, GRO, MAG; ERI, RAI, KOB, CHI
DNF: GUT, BOT, VER, SUT, KVY, VET, PER, MAL

*BIA has a 5 second penalty to be applied, but I think he’ll still be in the points
Incident involving cars 7 (RAI) and 20 (MAG) will be investigated after the race – causing a collision

It’s still not one of my favourite circuits but that was a great race!

ROS still looks fairly fresh as he collects his prize
HAM looks frustrated
RIC happy to be on the podium again – hopefully he gets to keep this one

2 thoughts on “Monaco Grand Prix – Race”

  1. BIA had 5 seconds applied to his finishing time so he dropped from P8 to P9, but that still means his and Marussia’s first points. [source: FIA]

    Revised result: ROS, HAM, RIC, ALO, HUL, BUT, MAS, GRO, BIA*, MAG; ERI, RAI, KOB, CHI

  2. My GridBids pick: BUT (P6), ROS (P1), HAM (P2), GRO (P8).

    “You scored 55 points for this race and have a total of 315 points this season. You ranked 5 for this race and 97 overall.”

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