The Monaco Grand Prix

sgd · Post by **sgd** » Mon May 16, 2005 12:03 pm

I just wanted to post DC's rece-preview, which I liked a lot...

"There's something special about driving round the Monaco GP circuit. The first time I drove a GP car here I was sure that my back wheel would catch the barrier at some of the tighter corners, it just didn't look possible to squeeze the car through."

"To be the fastest car around Monaco you need to have the wall of the rear tyre just kissing the barrier at several places on the circuit, which is an intense experience because of the concentration it takes. One slip and it's all over, there's nowhere you can relax. I've won Monaco twice and I drove one of the best laps of my life to take pole there too. I'll be happy if we can come home in the points again and I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to."

-redbull-

sgd · Post by **sgd** » Mon May 16, 2005 12:08 pm

Graham Ross wrote:I very much doubt Toyota will shape at Monaco. It is slow and neither the power nor the aero will give them an advantage.

All the reds will be together

i basically, agree Graham, but remember that Toyota is a good qualifier... i see a Toyota as the slow car which will keep MShumierda far away from the leaders (McLaren+Renault)...

rah · Post by **rah** » Mon May 16, 2005 12:11 pm

sgd wrote:
Graham Ross wrote:I very much doubt Toyota will shape at Monaco. It is slow and neither the power nor the aero will give them an advantage.

All the reds will be together

i basically, agree Graham, but remember that Toyota is a good qualifier... i see a Toyota as the slow car which will keep MShumierda far away from the leaders (McLaren+Renault)...

I don't think that is fair, Williams can slow people up just as well as Toyota!

sgd · Post by **sgd** » Mon May 16, 2005 12:15 pm

rah wrote:
sgd wrote:
Graham Ross wrote:I very much doubt Toyota will shape at Monaco. It is slow and neither the power nor the aero will give them an advantage.

All the reds will be together

i basically, agree Graham, but remember that Toyota is a good qualifier... i see a Toyota as the slow car which will keep MShumierda far away from the leaders (McLaren+Renault)...
I don't think that is fair, Williams can slow people up just as well as Toyota!

yes, but i think they should drop behind Toyota in the start...

sgd · Post by **sgd** » Mon May 16, 2005 12:17 pm

I think Webber could do a top 4 in Qualif, and a Toyota would be 5 - 6th... after the 1st lap webber -> 6th...

then it will be the Toyota with Webber (slow too) slowing down the ferraries...

sgd · Post by **sgd** » Mon May 16, 2005 12:25 pm

julian mayo wrote:I'm not writing him off for a third place yet, what is the weather forecast?

Sat ->Partly Cloudy Precip. 20 % (~20C)
Sun-> Mostly Cloudy Precip. 10 % (~20C)

but as Rah said, it TOO far away... the forecast for Sidney could indeed be better then this one...

Kapel · Post by **Kapel** » Mon May 16, 2005 5:36 pm

Monaco is only for its style ,glamour,yachts.The race is only for the sponsors & promotional activities.Though most of the drivers like it,there is not much for the fans on TV

,unless they show it from the onboard camera.

Star Wars Movie promotion on Red Bull racing

The starting order & finishing order would almost be same with Williams dropping back at the start.No manufacturer wants its car in the barrier here & Monaco is not particularly hard on the engines.

But i just hope a couple of engines do go off with a couple of cars in the barrier

(not the Jordans or Minardis though) That would make this boring race interesting

sgd · Post by **sgd** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:00 am

I agree the reace could be a bit monotone, but one thing is for sure, Q1 and Q2(!) will be bloody interesting!!!!

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Tue May 17, 2005 8:08 am

Ah, bring back the old days of Monaco ! ( I have seen the old footage, nothing to do with my tender years ) Cars launched into the harbour, cars setting fire to the straw bales, no lights in the tunnel (schuey would love that behind a safety car- 20 cars go into the tunnel.... bump, oops, sorry, bump, oops, sorry,bump,oops sorry....1 car comes out). Bernie would wake up if a Mclaren landed on the deck of his floating gin palace....ah the good old days.......and another thought ( I had better start taking the tablets again,sigh)...it is often said that F1 cars generate enough downforce to stick to the roof of the tunnel...why not make it mandatory that they have to go up one side and down the other,on every pass through the tunnel? Webber has had some experience of inverted driving, albeit backwards, it could help the Williams. Of course it would not apply behind the safety car...Hmmm,... no I guess it couldn't

Ed · Post by Ed » Tue May 17, 2005 9:14 am

The 'official' thread for Monaco is now up here

The merge function isn't working at the moment but I am sure the experts will sort it out sometime .... soon

Kapel · Post by **Kapel** » Tue May 17, 2005 2:08 pm

julian mayo wrote:Ah, bring back the old days of Monaco ! ( I have seen the old footage, nothing to do with my tender years ) Cars launched into the harbour, cars setting fire to the straw bales, no lights in the tunnel (schuey would love that behind a safety car- 20 cars go into the tunnel.... bump, oops, sorry, bump, oops, sorry,bump,oops sorry....1 car comes out). Bernie would wake up if a Mclaren landed on the deck of his floating gin palace

Nice one Julian

grandprixdiary · Post by **grandprixdiary** » Wed May 18, 2005 6:50 pm

[quote="Kapel"]Monaco is only for its style ,glamour,yachts.The race is only for the sponsors & promotional activities.Though most of the drivers like it,there is not much for the fans on TV

,unless they show it from the onboard camera.

Have to disagree, I'm going to defend Monte here ! Monaco is perfect for TV due to it's very enclosed nature, and it's a mega race for fans to boot. I've been to Monaco loads of times but sadly no more. I reckon that a good Monaco weekend is the same as doing two other Grand Prix. The habit of most hotels charging you for a minimum 7 night stay, when they know damn well you'll be gone after 3 nights is a scandal. Its a shame, its a race that has to be seen live, and the main people that go now are folk who may as well be at Ascot for all they know. But still, the memory of sitting outside a restaurant at Portier, in the sun, drinking ice cold beer as F1 cars blast by is something I'll always treasure ! Being invited in to Rubens Barrichello's 21st birthday party in the paddock and then spending the evening in the Tip Top bar with a (race banned) Eddie Irvine in 1994 was pretty darn cool too - you don't get things like that happen at Silverstone.

Rob

(not jealous of the corporate types, obviously)

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Wed May 18, 2005 7:01 pm

grandprixdiary wrote:
Kapel wrote:Monaco is only for its style ,glamour,yachts.The race is only for the sponsors & promotional activities.Though most of the drivers like it,there is not much for the fans on TV ,unless they show it from the onboard camera.

Have to disagree, I'm going to defend Monte here ! Monaco is perfect for TV due to it's very enclosed nature, and it's a mega race for fans to boot. I've been to Monaco loads of times but sadly no more. I reckon that a good Monaco weekend is the same as doing two other Grand Prix. The habit of most hotels charging you for a minimum 7 night stay, when they know damn well you'll be gone after 3 nights is a scandal. Its a shame, its a race that has to be seen live, and the main people that go now are folk who may as well be at Ascot for all they know. But still, the memory of sitting outside a restaurant at Portier, in the sun, drinking ice cold beer as F1 cars blast by is something I'll always treasure ! Being invited in to Rubens Barrichello's 21st birthday party in the paddock and then spending the evening in the Tip Top bar with a (race banned) Eddie Irvine in 1994 was pretty darn cool too - you don't get things like that happen at Silverstone.

Rob

(not jealous of the corporate types, obviously)

Name Dropper

K-D · Post by **K-D** » Wed May 18, 2005 7:03 pm

The thoughts of a smart man..

This is the time of year again. Monaco The crown jewel in the F1 championship. It has become fashionable to decry the Monte-Carlo track as an anachronism, which no longer have any place in the F1 calendar.

I disagree; I find the Monaco Grand Prix one of the most interesting of the season.

No Excitement?? ? We see cars racing between non-forgiving barriers where nothing but pinpoint precision will mean instant retirement. Every 7 or 8 year we get a surprise result, I like most real fans was willing Olivier Panis to win for Ligier in 1996. The best race I ever saw was Keke Rosberg winning after starting on a wet track with slicks in 1983.

To dangerous?? ? Last death there was in 1967, apart from that the most serious injury that I remember was John Nielsen crashing heavily in the chicane, during the 1983 F3 race. The track is talked about as being dangerous, but the action really does not back that up.

No overtaking?? - Pray tell where we have that at all?? The current rules and regulations have created a series where basically no action takes place on the track. Apart from Michael Schumacher overtaking Jenson Button at Imola, when was the last time you saw an overtaking move for the lead of a Grand Prix??? Several years? If you want overtaking change the rules.

Anyone can win?? ? That goes for any race, but in Monaco they don?t. Mostly the race is won by those who are the best in the business. Senna, Prost, Hill Sr., Schumacher, Stewart, Fangio, Lauda.

Best car always win?? ? Yes. That is the case almost every single Grand Prix, not special for Monaco.

Come Sunday I will once more enjoy a spectacle like no other.

grandprixdiary · Post by **grandprixdiary** » Wed May 18, 2005 7:12 pm

julian mayo wrote:[

Name Dropper

Shamelessly so......!

Rob