MONACO GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
One of the most glamorous international destinations meets one of the most glamorous sports in the world this weekend as Formula One descends upon Monte Carlo for the fifth round of the Championship, the 65th Monaco Grand Prix. The smallest remaining sovereign state hosted its first (pre-Championship) Formula One race in 1929, making it one of the longest serving venues in motorsport and perhaps Formula One’s spiritual home where glamour sits alongside speed.
In the two week gap between Barcelona and Monte Carlo, the team carried out a four day test at Paul Ricard, its layout having been re-configured to replicate the Monegasque track. Both Nico and Alex benefited from almost 500kms of set-up work each in preparation for their home Grand Prix. Following a marked upturn in performance demonstrated by Nico’s points score in Spain, AT&T Williams are looking to improve their current joint fifth position in the Championship on the streets of Monte Carlo
Nico Rosberg
Monaco is the race of the year. The spectacularly exciting but very narrow track is right in the middle of my home town where I grew up, so it’s also a very special race for me. All of my friends are there and the atmosphere is just great. All that has been missing from the mix is a good race result, but let’s see if we can change that this weekend.
Alex Wurz
This weekend is going to be very cool. It is just amazing to drive a Formula One car through the streets of Monaco. The track gets quicker every session and, once you’ve built up a rhythm on the track, it is just mind blowing how much adrenaline you build up driving between the armco. Every corner is difficult and, with the changing track conditions, it is obviously important to be on top of your game. In terms of set-up, it is most important that the driver has a good feeling about his car and can drive it with confidence. That is one of the key ingredients for setting a quick lap time around Monaco.
In terms of off track work, Monaco is always the busiest weekend for all the drivers, and that’s a challenge in itself. Nevertheless, it is still one of my favourite race weekends of the season. It’s as hard as ever to forecast the result for the race. The only thing I can say for sure is that it’s going to be a close fight, and that is cool.
Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1
We had a productive test last week during which we worked through many different mechanical and aerodynamic set-ups. At the same time, we signed off the upgrade that we will use for the maximum downforce circuit of Monte Carlo.
Bridgestone will be bringing the "Super Soft" Potenza tyres to this race for the first time and they will make a significant contribution as to how much the street circuit rubbers-in during the course of the weekend.
The grip level increase is so large because, in addition to rubber being laid down, a lot of the contaminants on the road surface are lifted. Monaco is such a unique track and requires everyone on the team to perform their task perfectly to get a good overall result. There are just so many things that can go wrong, from driver error on such a tricky track, to the set-up and the strategy. As overtaking is quite difficult, qualifying with a good race strategy will be most important. Expect to see mainly one stop strategies around the streets this weekend.
Monte Carlo, Monaco
It’s the social event of the season, but Monte Carlo is also one of the most challenging destinations on the calendar. The two mile lap may be the shortest seen all year, but still places extreme demands on the car and requires a unique set-up direction. First and foremost, Monaco is a street circuit, so soft tyres and a high downforce configuration are pre-requisites to counterbalance the poor grip levels which play havoc with the track in the opening sessions.
The lap itself is dominated by slow speed corners and undulations, so a solid mechanical and aero balance is key. Evocative corners, such as Rascasse, Tabac and Ste Devote, are all taken in second gear, so not only are the brakes worked considerably harder in Monaco than anywhere else, but the number of gear shifts made reaches 3,300, 500 more than at any other track.
With speeds dipping to as low as 30mph on the entry to corners such as Portier, good traction to power the car out of the exit is also crucial to set a competitive lap time. With just 45% of the circuit driven at full throttle, the longest period lasting 9.5 seconds through the tunnel where speeds peak at 175mph, drivers record the lowest average lap speed of all races at Monaco so engines are given a relatively easy ride over the weekend.
The tight, twisty nature of the track means precision is also paramount for the drivers, for the smallest of errors will be brutally punished by the unforgiving, and menacingly close, armco. Physically, the 78 lap race is also one of endurance and separates the men from the boys as the drivers invariably have to wrestle their power-packed machines round streets more suited to cruising convertibles. In summary, the playground of the rich and famous transforms itself into one of the season’s greatest challenges, where only the best reap the reward.
STATS & FACTS
RACE DISTANCE/LAPS 3.340kms / 2.075 miles. 78 laps = 260.520kms / 161.887 miles
RACE START TIME Local: 14.00, BST: 13.00
2006 FASTEST LAP M Schumacher, Ferrari: 1:15.143
2006 POLE SITTER F Alonso, Renault F1: 1:13.962
2006 RACE WINNER F Alonso, Renault F1
PIT-STOP SCHEDULE
1 stop: Laps 44 - 51
2 stops: Laps 25 – 32, 48 - 55
3 stops: Laps 18 – 24, 34 – 40, 52 - 58
- Liam Clogger, Claire Williams -
photos Williams
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