Monaco GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

What a race. Another one has been completed on the 19 Race calendar, so let's just jump right into it.

Before the race started it was noted that Jules Bianchi would start from 21st after a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty was put in place for an overnight gearbox change. Marcus Ericsson was starting from the Pit-Lane due to his collision with Massa in Qualifying.

But before the race could even start, Maldonado could not get around for the formation lap and his team wheeled him off to the side. After a few moments, it was clear he would not start the Monaco GP. It was later announced that he had a Fuel Pump problem.

When the lights went out, all cars sped down the first corner and there was instant contact between Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, unfortunately that ended Perez's race. He told reporters later that he's already looking forward to Canada in 2 weeks. 

Vettel and Kvyat retired with car problems about a half hour into the race and Sutil crashed hard into the barriers after coming out of the tunnel. That was the end of the race for him as well.

Gutierrez, the only Sauber left was now in the points and trying hard to stay there. Marussia's Jules Bianchi was coming close as well. 

Up in the front, Alonso lost 3rd spot to Daniel Ricciardo, while Hamilton fought to pass Rosberg, who was leading in 1st since the start. Rosberg was not going to let Hamilton get this win.

Jean-Eric Vergne was the next unlucky drier to retire with the same car issue as his team-mate, Kvyat. And thus, it was a double-retirement for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team. 

With less than 20 laps to go, Kimi Raikkonen was fighting to stay in the points and was in 9th, but trying to pass Gutierrez was proving tricky for the Fin, who could just not get around the Sauber, that was until Esteban's back tyre clipped a barrier ever-so-lightly and he was spun. Raikkonen drove by quickly, while Esteban's race was unfortunately ended. 

Meanwhile, Bottas had retired due to a failed Power Unit. The retirement count was piling up as it usually does in Monaco. With it being one of the most dangerous Grand Prixs, every driver knows the percentage of not finishing the race raises.

Kimi and Magnussen were now side by side, having a late-in-the-race overtake battle, and they were heading around the hairpin when Kimi took the Ferrari's nose into the wall and Magnussen, trying to break, bumped into the back of the Ferrari. Shockingly, this did not end either of their races, but the points were not going to Raikkonen now.

Bianchi was now holding 8th, but told he had a 5-Second-Drive-Through-Penalty. He opted to not take the penalty and finished the race in the points, making it Marussia's first points finish since the team was known as "Virgin" back in 2010.

After the race, however they added the 5 seconds to his race time, thus moving his result to 9th instead of 8th, which then went to Romain Grosjean. Either way, Marussia still got points, moving them ahead of Sauber in the Constructors Championship.

Nico Rosberg did not let Hamilton have a last minute pass, but it didn't matter. Hamilton was losing speed, due to having his vision blurred by dirt in one of his eyes. Nico took home the win, with Hamilton in Second and Ricciardo in 3rd.

Although Perez was victim of a collision, Nico Hulkenberg managed to bring home 10 points, finishing in 5th for the Sahara Force India Team.

Now, onto the final results!

RESULTS:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull / Australia / + 15 Points

4. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain / + 12 Points

5. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany / + 10 Points

6. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain / + 8 Points

7. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil / + 6 Points

8. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France / + 4 Points

9. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France / +2 Points

10. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark / + 1 Point

11. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden / + 0 Points

12. Kimi Raikkonen / Lotus / Finland / + 0 Points

13. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan / + 0 Points

14. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain / + 0 Points

DID NOT FINISH:

Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico / Collision

Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull / Germany / Engine

Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia / Exhaust Failure

Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany / Crash

Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France / Exhaust Failure

Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland / Power Unit Failure

Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico / Crash

DID NOT START:

Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela / Fuel Pump Failure

----

Check back soon for articles on the upcoming Canadian GP!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Monaco GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

Qualifying took place yesterday and it's time for the re-cap and results! 

For those who are new to F1 or just to Qualifying rules, lets get straight into it! Qualifying is made up of 3 rounds, Q1, Q2, and Q3. First round, 18 minutes on the clock and all the cars get to go out and set fastest times. 6 slowest are knocked out. Same rules apply for Q2, but only 15 minutes - In Q3, it's 12 minutes and the final ten go out to see who gets Pole Position. 

6 slowest and knocked out in Q1 were: Marcus Ericsson, Kamui Kobayashi, Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Adrian Sutil & Esteban Gutierrez.

6 slowest and knocked out in Q2 were: Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado, Romain Grosjean, Valtteri Bottas, Jenson Button and Nico Hulkenberg. 

During Q1 however there was an accident between Massa and Ericsson, causing Massa to be unable to compete in Q2. Marcus Ericsson who qualified 22, was given a penalty and will now start from the pit-lane.

After the final round, here's how the grid will line-up for the race!

1. Pole Position - Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Gemany

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull / Australia

4. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull / Germany

5. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain

6. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland

7. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France

8. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark

9. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia

10. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico

11. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany

12. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain

13. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland

14. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France

15. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela 

16. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil

17. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico

18. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany

19. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France

20. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain

21. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan

PIT LANE. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden

Look back tomorrow for a full race re-cap of the Monaco GP!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Monaco GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

Short re-cap of Free Practice 3 - This session is usually where teams make last minute fixes/changes to their car and make sure the set-up is good for their drivers. No major accidents happened during this session, thankfully.

The weather turned around majorly since Thursday and was hot and sunny for the last practice session, so lets get right to the times, shall we?

TIMES: 

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:16.758 / Mercedes

2. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:16.808 / Red Bull

3. Nico Rosberg - 1:16.874 / Mercedes

4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:17.284 / Red Bull

5. Fernando Alonso - 1:17.428 / Ferrari

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:17.448 / Ferrari

7. Sergio Perez - 1:17.725 / Force India

8. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:18.074 / Force India

9. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:18.136 / Toro Rosso

10. Daniil Kvyat - 1:18.166 / Toro Rosso

11. Kevin Magnussen - 1:18.249 / McLaren

12. Jenson Button - 1:18.262 / McLaren

13. Valtteri Bottas - 1:18.430 / Williams

14. Felipe Massa - 1:18.542 / Williams

15. Adrian Sutil - 1:18.598 / Sauber

16. Romain Grosjean - 1:18.776 / Lotus

17. Jules Bianchi - 1:18.872 / Marussia

18. Pastor Maldonado - 1:19.118 / Lotus

19. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:19.149 / Sauber

20. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:20.271 / Caterham

21. Max Chilton - 1:20.394 / Marussia

22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:20.589 / Caterham

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Monaco GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

Time for the re-cap of Free Practice 2! It got quite rainy while GP2 was out doing their practice session on the circuit and it began to hail shortly after. So, for F1, the first 40-ish minutes of practice were spent watching the drivers hang around in their garages while talking to their engineers and/or other team members.

Once the track was dry and cars started heading out, the first one to face a major problem was Kimi Raikkonen, who suddenly got stuck in Gear 3 and had to head to the pits. Turned out he had a Gearbox problem and his session was then over.

His team-mate, Fernando Alonso, ended up setting the fastest time of the Second Session, while Hamilton came in a close Second, with Vettel rounding it up in 3rd. Force India and McLaren also looked strong in the session.

At the end, Marcus Ericsson in the Caterham, had a bit of a spin and ended up with the nose of the car just barely tapping the wall. Although there was no major damage, his session was over.

Now, on to the times!

TIMES:

1. Fernando Alonso - 1:18.482 / Ferrari

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:18.901 / Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:19.017 / Red Bull

4. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:19.351 / Toro Rosso

5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:19.421 / Williams

6. Sergio Perez - 1:19.668 / Force India

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:19.712 / Force India

8. Jenson Button - 1:19.721 / McLaren

9. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:19.779 / Red Bull

10. Kevin Magnussen - 1:20.230 / McLaren

11. Felipe Massa - 1:20.394 / Williams

12. Daniil Kvyat - 1:20.622 / Toro Rosso

13. Adrian Sutil - 1:20.811 / Sauber

14. Pastor Maldonado - 1:20.977 / Lotus

15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:21.467 / Sauber

16. Romain Grosjean - 1:21.700 / Lotus

17. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:21.924 / Caterham

18. Jules Bianchi - 1:21.937 / Marussia

19. Max Chilton - 1:22.683 / Marussia

20. Nico Rosberg - 1:22.862 / Mercedes

21. Marcus Ericsson - 1:23.164 / Caterham

22. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:45.509 / Ferrari

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Monaco GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

Thanks to all who joined me during my live commentary coverage of Free Practice 1 of the Monaco GP Weekend. For those who didn't get a chance to watch/listen or read the coverage of FP1 - Here's the Re-Cap plus all the times from the session!

With the session started and clouds already rolling about in the sky of Monaco, it was no clue rain would be expected. Although it didn't rain during the session, it did start afterwards. Hoping for a dry FP2!

Chilton was the reason for the first Yellow Flags when he had a spin. After the car was recovered, the session continued. It was a battle for fastest time between Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with Redbull driver, Daniel Ricciardo trying to edge in-between them.

Kevin Magnussen was having a great lap until he had to slow down when he nearly drove into the back of Sergio Perez's Force India

Sutil crashed into the Barriers near Mirabeau, causing another Yellow Flag moment for the session, thus ending his FP1 along with Chilton who had his ended with that spin. Sutil's team mate, Esteban made a quick turn into the escape path near the chicane, not long after and then his car locked up and stopped. Luckily, the session was over and all 3 cars should be fine by FP2.

With only a minute or so left, Alonso also hair a nerve raising moment when he ran wide near the same part of Mirabeau where Sutil crashed.

No major damage done and no one hurt, so overall, not a bad session! Now, onto the times.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:18.271 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:18.303 / Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:18.506 / Red Bull
4. Fernando Alonso - 1:18.930 / Ferrari
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:19.043 / Red Bull
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:19.467 / Ferrari
7. Valtteri Bottas - 1:19.494 / Williams
8. Sergio Perez - 1:19.666 / Force India
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:19.789 / McLaren
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:19.856 / Force India
11. Jenson Button - 1:20.033 / McLaren
12. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:20.118 / Sauber
13. Romain Grosjean - 1:20.207 / Lotus
14. Pastor Maldonado - 1:20.241 / Lotus
15. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:20.260 / Toro Rosso
16. Felipe Massa - 1:20.517 / Williams
17. Adrian Sutil - 1:20.736 / Sauber
18. Daniil Kvyat - 1:20.914 / Toro Rosso
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:21.310 / Marussia
20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:22.063 / Caterham
21. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:22.492 / Caterham
22. Max Chilton - 1:25.817 / Marussia

Remember to follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 for LIVE COMMENTARY coverage of Free Practice 2, starting in about 45 minutes!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia

Next quotes are from Marussia!

Jules Bianchi - “The Monaco Grand Prix is always very special, not least because it is really my home race. It is also nice to go there feeling optimistic for a positive result. We made some good improvements with our package during the test in Spain and I left there knowing that there was even more to come, so I am excited for the weekend. There is no track quite like Monaco. It’s a very distinctive challenge and extremely demanding; a real test of the driver. Last year I had a few problems and could not complete the race. I’m hoping for better things this time around and for the Team to be able to show more of the progress we have made.”

Max Chilton - 

“Next to my home race at Silverstone, there’s no better atmosphere than at the Monaco Grand Prix; it’s electric. It’s perhaps the most demanding race on the calendar, but at the same time, a fantastic experience from start to finish and I really enjoy the track’s unique challenges. Last year I secured my best result of the season here, so I’ll be hoping for more of the same, if not better. We had a really good test last week and the progress was clear to see. Although we aren’t expecting the timesheets to read in quite the same way as the Barcelona test, what we can be encouraged by is the work we have done to improve the set-up of the car and we can now translate those improvements through to the next events, to help us achieve a realistic next step over the course of a race weekend.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

More quotes and these ones are from Williams!

Felipe Massa - “I love Monaco. I live there so it's great to be able to go home and see the family and sleep in my own bed after each day in the car. I am luckier than most as this happens at two races for me (Monaco and Brazil). The track is amazing and steeped in history. We will need good stability for the circuit as it's so tight and traction is more important than top speed. The slow corners are very slow, but the track demands a lot of focus. The barriers are close, and it takes time getting use to driving right up against them, sometimes you can even touch them and still do a good lap. Monaco is a special place, there are no tracks like it on the calendar and that makes us enjoy it even more.”

Valtteri Bottas - 

“Qualifying in Monaco is the most important of the season as the design of the circuit makes it very hard to overtake in the race. Strategy is also important in the race as you want to make sure that no time or positions are lost during the pit stop, it will be hard to make those positions up. There is no room for mistakes in Monaco as the barriers will punish you. I am really confident driving there now that I have experience and so am looking forward to the race. It's also the closest thing I will have to a home Grand Prix as I live in Monaco, it will be nice to go from home in the morning.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

New quotes from Toro Rosso!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “It’s something of a home race for me, given there is no French Grand Prix on the calendar for the moment. Actually, I can really tell myself that I’m at home, because I stay in Menton for this race, which is really across the “border” in France! I have raced there twice in Formula One and both times I performed well. I think it is one of the hardest races and you should always arrive there in a humble state of mind and never expect anything just because things went well the previous year. I am not going there being overconfident. You have to work hard all weekend and not make any mistakes and it requires far higher levels of concentration from the beginning to the end of the weekend. We will certainly be busy in the cockpit this year, but by now we are used to all the new jobs we have to do in the car. I enjoy the weekend a lot, with everything that goes on, even if, as a driver, I live in a bubble over the weekend, not going to the Casino or eating out in restaurants. But it’s great fun to be racing in a place like this.”

Daniil Kvyat - 

“Monaco for me will be an absolutely new experience. Not only have I never raced there, I have never even been there on a visit. Of course, I have watched a lot of races from Monaco on TV and a lot of on-board footage. But it will really be a step into the unknown for me, even if I have now driven it on the simulator. In fact, I have never raced on any street circuit. I am really looking forward to the weekend, mainly from a driving point of view, but I also want to find out what it is that makes this race such a special event for all fans of motor sport.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

More quotes and these ones are from McLaren-Mercedes!

Jenson Button - "Obviously, I’ve never driven a turbocharged F1 car around Monaco before - and I’m relishing the opportunity. More than any other 2014 race, I think this event will show us the most pronounced difference between ‘old F1’ and the new formula we have. There’s far less of an aerodynamic influence here - it’s just about bolting as much to the car as possible in a bid to find grip - so I think the engine’s influence will be greater. So, with less significance placed on aerodynamics, I hope we can enjoy a better race than our two previous outings in China and Spain. Monaco is such a special case - in every respect - I just hope we can string together a good weekend: we’ll need to get the absolute maximum from the car in qualifying and on the first lap to be in with a chance to put up a fair showing. I’m up for the challenge, and the whole team is doing a great job of staying strong and working flat-out to bring updates to every race - and Monaco is no exception.”

Kevin Magnussen - 

“It’s strange to come away from a Grand Prix having finished 12th and feel satisfied with my performance. But the Barcelona weekend taught me quite a lot about managing and setting my expectations, and, more importantly, it gave me the best opportunity so far this year to really get to grips with the MP4-29. And, had I not had that quali problem, I’m certain I’d have scored points. 

I’m happier with the car, not just in terms of my own driving, but also with the way I work with my engineers to set it up. We haven’t totally cracked it, but things are going in the right direction. My [World Series] race in Monaco last year was a bit of a missed opportunity - I didn’t hook it all together and ended up finishing only fourth - so, more than anything, I want to have a clean and constructive race this weekend. We don’t have the pace in the car to challenge at the front, but, wherever I am, I’m determined to make a fight of it.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham

Next quotes are from the Caterham F1 Team!

Kamui Kobayashi - "Next it's Monaco, one of the most famous races in the world. I like the challenge of the circuit, I think every driver does, but there is so much going on all over Monaco for the whole week it's pretty intense. Sometimes you just need to focus on your job but that's almost impossible while the race week is on, so I like to do the best work I can for the team on track. Monaco's also one of the shortest tracks of the year, and because it's not a really high speed circuit it's one where the gap to the cars ahead is always less. That's obviously good for us as one of the smaller teams as it means we have a better chance to do something special and I think it would be a fair reward for us to have something to celebrate after a couple of tough last races. I know that everyone in the team is working even harder than ever to fight back from where we are right now – the amount of hard work and effort that's always put in is one of the things that most impresses me about our team whenever I'm on track or at the factory, and it's about time our luck changed. Even though we only tested for one day in Spain, we still achieved a lot there. We were doing more aero evaluations of the new parts we took to Barcelona and were also looking closely at why we couldn't get the tyres working over the whole weekend in Spain. The good news is that the tests allowed us to assess alternative setups that pointed to a very clear direction for future development so we can overcome the problems we had in Spain. I also want to thank the whole team for working even harder than ever to prepare the cars for Monaco after what was a pretty big accident I had at the end of day one - now we'll take everything we have to Monaco and aim for a much better weekend there."

Marcus Ericsson - 

"As a rookie Monaco is obviously one of the races you're most excited about, and I'm no different! I obviously have a lot of experience of racing there in GP2, I finished on the podium in 2012 with iSport, but racing F1 cars around Monaco is one of the things I've dreamed about ever since I first wanted to be in F1, and I can't wait to get started. It's also going to be a very special race for all Swedish fans as it's 40 years since Ronnie Peterson won in Monaco in 1974. It's a huge honour for me to be another Swedish F1 driver following in his footsteps, especially as he and I come from the same part of Sweden, and while I know we won't be competing for a win like he was, I want to do the best job I can to pay homage to him and his legacy. I've obviously been asked a lot about what Senna meant to me over the last few weeks, but I always say it's Ronnie that really inspired me, obviously not because I saw him race, but because where I'm from in Sweden, Kumla, Ronnie is the number one hero. We have a couple of very cool things planned to celebrate his memory over the race week and I'm sure it'll be emotional for the people who are in the paddock today who remember him. If I can give them something to cheer for, that would be pretty cool for them and our whole team. In GP2 the race week is obviously very different to F1 for the drivers, but I know that the one of the main things is to switch off all the distractions whenever I'm in the car and focus on doing the best job I can on track. I have a few events going on over the week, and I'm sure they'll be good, but really it's about giving ourselves the best chance to take advantage of anything that happens on track in quali and the race so that means making every lap count on Friday and Saturday. It's almost inevitable that there will be a higher retirement rate than we've seen in the last couple of races, and that may give us a chance, but we need to be there when it counts and that's what I want to focus on."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Next quotes come from The Force India boys!

Nico Hulkenberg - "It's the event of the year. Your heartbeat goes up when you arrive there and walk over the bridge into the pits. The place looks amazing with the buildings, the scenery and the mountains. Of course the biggest thrill is driving the track because it's so unique and gives you the biggest excitement of the year. In terms of precision it's right up there with Singapore as the toughest race of the year. You never get a break during the lap; you are always working hard because it's corner after corner. Even the straights are really short and it's high-speed for such a narrow track. I particularly enjoy the swimming pool area, which is very quick, and the two right-hand corners before the tunnel. I think it will be a normal track for us. As far as the pecking order is concerned, it's very tight and competitive at the moment so we need to keep working hard and keep developing."

Sergio Perez - "It's a big challenge and I have always believed it's a circuit where ýthe driver can really make a difference. So you always have the chance to do something special there. It's not the most difficult lap of the year, but you have to always keep your concentration. I don't believe that there will be a major surprise and I expect the same teams to be at the front. It's hard to predict how strong we will be, but I hope we can continue our good form."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Next quotes are from the Sauber boys!

Adrian Sutil - "The Monaco Grand Prix is a very nice event every year. I really like the track. For us, the most important aspect will be that our car works well and we can achieve a good performance. My objective is to travel back home with some points in my pocket. Looking back, I have good memories from the races in Monte Carlo as I collected some points almost every year. Last year it was an exciting race for me which I finished in fifth position. It is always a special Grand Prix, and I am looking forward to it."

Esteban Gutierrez - 

"The street circuit in Monaco is a very special track and one of my favourites on the calendar. As the track has many slow speed corners, we need to have a stable car. Our focus will be to get things sorted out and to make sure we are on target. What I like the most in Monte Carlo is driving on the narrow track between the guardrails. It is very challenging as you don't have a lot of space, and for a perfect lap you get very close to the barriers. The closer you get, the more you are pushing to the limit, so using every centimetre of the track. It is very exciting and racing on the streets of Monte Carlo is always a different kind of feeling."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

More quotes and these ones are from Redbull!

Sebastian Vettel - "Monaco is one of my favourite tracks, it's an absolute challenge. You cannot afford to make one single mistake, because you would easily crash into the railings. Overtaking is only possible with taking an extreme risk. The best place to overtake is before the harbour chicane when we exit the narrow tunnel at 300kph and race towards the first gear chicane. Other than that, it's all about patience in Monaco and hoping for complete reliability as the suspension and drive are massively in demand around this extreme, uneven rollercoaster of a circuit - it's immense. In the perfect situation, you would have had a good quali and start from the front. Monaco offers some really great memories with the team, especially when everyone ended up jumping in the pool and one year Mark and I even ended up in the harbour. It's very special in Monaco and it's the race where we have our Energy Station with its larger outside area floating in the harbour, it's a great, great event."

Daniel Ricciardo - "

In Monte Carlo it's impossible to do that calm, detached racing driver thing. Every year I'm determined I'm going to approach the weekend in a coldly logical way, and every year I end up bouncing up and down and getting excited. It's just amazing. The atmosphere in town and down at the harbour, the history of the race, the massive crowd, it's a real buzz. The track is properly old-school. Driving an F1 car anywhere is special, the speed, the power and the acceleration just blows you away. But here it's... cool. I know there's that quote about racing at Monaco being like riding a bicycle around your bathroom - well when I was a kid I used to love riding my little bike around inside the house. It was more fun, there were more obstacles and a bit more danger. That really is what this is like. Experience definitely helps: the driver can make a big difference if he knows the tricks that a fast lap demands."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Next quotes from Lotus!

Romain Grosjean - "It's an exciting and glamorous Grand Prix and always a step into the unknown, because it's difficult to predict how well each car will work there. It's a crazy week with all the focus and attention, but everyone loves Monaco. As a driver you have to stay calm and relaxed on a track that doesn't allow for any mistakes. I've been super quick in the past, but also hit the walls! There will be less grip than in the past, so we will have to be careful with the right foot. The emphasis at Monaco is on low speed corners, which is not our greatest strength, but the team worked with Monaco in mind during the Barcelona test. We'll do our best with set-up and of course Monaco is less engine dependent than most circuits, which is better for us. It was nice not only to score points in Barcelona, but also to be fifth on the grid in qualifying - if we can do that again in Monaco it'll be very good for us..."

Pastor Maldonado - "I really love Monaco. I've been very quick in the past and I think it is one of the most special weekends of the year. The car has made a big step forward from where we were, which I think is a great boost for everyone at Enstone and of course as a driver it gives me more confidence in the car so I can aim to achieve better results. If you think about where we were and where we are now it is an incredible step forward – particularly when the other teams are moving forward with their development too. It's a true testament to the team's capabilities and I hope we can start to get the results on track that we so deserve."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

First preview quotes for the Monaco GP come from Mercedes!

Lewis Hamilton - “It's been a busy few weeks for me, both on track and away from it, but I'm pleased to be getting back to racing again next weekend. And what a place to get back to it! Monaco is just incredible to drive and any driver will tell you that's the race they want to win. So many great names become legends around this circuit. It's an honour to fight for your place amongst them and a real test of your skills behind the wheel. The last few races have been just incredible. I honestly never expected I'd win four consecutive Grands Prix in my career and I'd love to continue that run here. I've had some work to do in terms of getting the car exactly as I want it after the weekend in Spain: it was so close between our cars at the end and I need to keep pushing to find any extra edge I can. The car has been strong at every race so far and I'm sure it'll be the same in Monaco, so we should be set for an entertaining weekend.”

Nico Rosberg - “Monaco: my home town! Obviously, I associate many wonderful memories with this place. It's where I grew up and where I now live as an adult. But in sporting terms too, I have had some great moments there: in particular last year when I won there for the first time in my Formula One career. That was an absolutely incredible feeling. Driving a Formula One car there is simply fantastic and it's an event every driver looks forward to each year. Overall I was quite pleased with the last race weekend in Barcelona. Disappointed, of course, not to have taken the win but happy that the team achieved another one-two finish. The Championship battle is very close and to re-gain the advantage at my home race would be fantastic, so I'll be pushing harder than ever to make that happen. I had a productive day of testing in Barcelona where we made some good progress with braking and starts: two areas that I feel are costing me time at the moment. Hopefully that will give me the extra edge next weekend. It should be an exciting weekend and I can't wait to get started.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by drivers. 

Monaco GP: Circuit Preview

  (I do not own this image. Photo credit goes to: www.vr.picparc.co.uk) 

My favourite Grand Prix is almost here, the beautiful and incredible Monaco GP. This street circuit is one of the most popular on the current F1 Calendar. There are many events that are held during the GP weekend including the Amber Lounge Fashion Show and the Charity soccer event. F1 drivers tend to take part in both of those events and also attend multiple parties and media events.

The "Circuit De Monaco" is located in Monte Carlo, Monaco and is a Street Circuit. It opened back in 1929 and the current version of the circuit is 2.075 miles and has 19 turns. As many, this one also runs clockwise. The drivers will do a whopping 78 laps here and it's one of the few circuits where the lap total is over 65.

This is by far, one of the most dangerous circuits as well and one of the only ones with a tunnel. If the tunnel wasn't distracting enough for a driver, when you exit, you're faced with a tight chicane. Many people have crashed at that area, but recently, the safety has become much better. 

Now, let's take a quick look-back at last years Monaco GP!

Nico Rosberg took Pole Position for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team and was the leader for the entire race. Sebastian Vettel came in Second and Mark Webber in Third, making it a double Red Bull podium. 

One of the most exciting moments was a very tight passing battle between Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez. There was a moment they were so close to eachother that Kimi ended up giving Perez no room and the McLaren was scraping the side of the wall. Although there was no crash, it was still a hair-raising moment.

Retirements included: 

Sergio Perez with brake failure, but he still qualified as finishing 16th, as he had completed over 90% of the race. 

Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado & Daniel Ricciardo all had to retire from collisions.

Charles Pic retired with a Gearbox issue and Jules Bianchi retired with a brake problem.

Felipe Massa was forced to retire with a Suspension issue.

So, with everything said, we're probably in for another exciting and head-turning race at Monaco and I'll be bringing you all the updates and commentary for the Free Practice Sessions as well as the Drivers quotes and re-caps of all sessions. 

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Photo credit goes to: www.vr.picparc.co.uk

Monaco GP: Schedule

We're in the middle of May and that means it's time for one of my favourite Grand Prixs! The Grand Prix de Monaco! Monaco has one of the most famed street circuits and I always look forward to this race. 

One thing that is different is that there is no F1 Activities on Friday, where as usually, that's when the first two Free Practice Sessions take place, instead they will take place on Thursday and the drivers press conference will take place on Wednesday. So, here is the full schedule and remember the times are in Local Monaco Time, if you'd like it converted to your time zone, just let me know.

SCHEDULE:

May 21st - Wednesday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

May 22nd - Thursday

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1

14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

May 23rd - Friday

- No F1 Activities

May 24th - Saturday 

08:00 - 08:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

08:00 - 08:30 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3

12:15 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

14:00 - Qualifying

May 25th - Sunday

08:00 - 09:00 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

12:25 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

12:30 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:45 - National Anthem

14:00 - Race

(Times & Schedule subject to change.)

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Oh, Monaco: The battle of Perez and Raikkonen!

Yesterday's Grand Prix took place in the beautiful Monte Carlo, Monaco. As always, it was entertaining and nothing less than spectacular. But, every Grand Prix comes with some drama... And this one was a doozey.
 
During the final laps, Sergio Perez had quite a battle with Kimi Raikkonen, and the two collided when Kimi edged Sergio into a wall. Kimi's car hit the McLaren, and pieces flew off of the Lotus. Kimi was furious during the race, calling Perez an "Idiot" over the team radio. After that, Perez was ordered by the McLaren team to retire, due to Brake Failure.
 
Kimi was only more angry after the race, when he ended up in 10th place. In an interview, Kimi bluntly said that Perez needed "To be punched in the face." In response to a question asking if the Lotus team would have a sit down with the McLaren driver. Kimi Raikkonen has taken it too far, making it sound like a physical threat towards Sergio.
 
Sergio is at no illegal fault for trying to pass Kimi during the race, and was not given an order to slow down, or not pass Kimi. He was only doing what he was supposed to be doing: Racing. Formula1 is a dangerous sport, and accidents happen. Kimi needs to calm down, and re-think what happened, for he is the one who shoved Perez into the wall. Perez is NOT responsible for the accident.
 
Earlier on in the race, Perez made an incredible pass on team mate, Jenson Button, and Button praised him afterwards, for doing so. The two seem to be getting along very well since Perez's joining of the McLaren team/family this season.
 
So, great job to Sergio and Jenson. McLaren is getting stronger!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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