Round 6 - Monaco 2015 - Preview

Greetings Internet

I know, today is Friday again - and these generally meaningless contributions to the omnipresent void of cyberspace technically should be completed on Thursdays. But alas it isn't the case this time, life gets in the way of scribbling nonsensical rants across the internet. So later than intended, time to open proceedings on the Monaco GP, and in the week between races everyone has been a little distracted. Instead of moaning at engine suppliers or tyre companies the teams and the media have been having a go at the results of a recent strategy group meeting detailed in a separate post. But to an extent tyres were back on the agenda, just not in the sense that they usually are. Instead of people wanting to give Pirelli a hard time for doing precisely what they were told to do, they have directed their attention to the potential for a future tyre war. 

This doesn't mean that an army of futuristic tyres are going to rise up and enslave humanity... which would have made the terminator a very different film. It means that multiple tyre manufacturers supply different teams within the championship and therefore battle with one another to develop the best possible compounds and designs. This used to be the case when Bridgestone and Michellin were tyre suppliers before Michellin left and Pirelli ultimately took over. While on the surface, more levels of competition sounds like a brilliant idea - in the same way that engine manufacturers are continually attempting to out develop each other, there are a few problems. In the previous tyre war, Bridgestone made the tyres Ferrari wanted them to make - which really only benefited their car and their operating temperatures. Everyone else on those tyres suffered with poorly optimised tyres, Michellin had the same relationship with Renault. So instead of promoting competition is helped reduce it, it became important to forge a special relationship with the tyre manufacturer to gain an advantage... and one would assume there was a notable monetary influence involved. It is similar to the logic McLaren have applied to their move to Honda power - in order to get the best of the engine it is important to become the primary customer. They couldn't achieve that with Mercedes power because there is a factory team on the grid now. The rumours of a tyre war have come about because Pirelli are not really comfortable with some of the press their involvement with F1 has generated, and that future plans do not meet with their specifications. This may also coincide with their contract coming to an end and influencing their decision to continue being the tyre supplier. At the moment Michellin appear to be the only company on the frey of making a return, largely on the idea that lower profile tyres are introduced. Some tests were conducted with Lotus (who were Renault at the time of Michellin's last appearance), using large rims and low profile Pirellis to test the water for a potential future design concept.

Monte Carlo

Aside from all of the discussions and regulations, there is still the small matter of a race weekend to face, and one on the most famous circuit of all. A circuit which polarises drivers and fans alike, often dubbed the most challenging and mentally demanding race of the season - whatever state F1 finds itself in - Monaco will always be special. Every year we hear the calls for it to be dismissed from the calendar as it is a relic of times gone by, and no longer fits into the new, modern world of Formula one. To some degree I can see where they are coming from, the track is by far the shortest and the slowest on the calendar, but it provides much needed contrast in championship increasingly drowning in soul-less by-the-numbers style Tilke-dromes. Monaco is different, unique and exciting. 

Over the years very little has changed, barriers have improved and the streets have been resurfaced from time to time. Of course there were some tweaks around the final sector of the lap, as land reclaimed from sea allowed the Rascasse to be reprofiled. This time around Tabac corner has also been modified slightly in response to the accident suffered by Maldonado in 2013, after being pushed wide by Max Chilton. It was the incident in which the Venezuelan built a fort made out of the movable barriers. In 2015 the apex has been tightened slightly to lower speeds, and provide more room for barrier structures - the knock on effect is that the entry to the swimming pool section is now straighter and fractionally faster. In the end the lap is now three metres shorter due to the change. Jenson Button has stated that he is not too fond of the change, saying that it does take away some of what made Tabac special. This update is part of a larger update plan for the coming years to improve the latter section of the lap for spectators and pit lane access. How that will impact on the layout of the famous swimming pool section remain to be seen. 

Monaco - Where cars can hover

Elsewhere everything else is precisely where we left it in 2014, and over the course of free practice and the GP2 qualifying - the same corners were catching people out. Many drivers were forced to complete spin turns in the tiny escape road on the outside of Saint Devote which is always tricky as the track curves left while the apex of the corner sits off to the right. The climb up the hill to Massonet remains one of the key iconic images that Sky can and will use in their promotional material for the rest of the season. Massonet itself is a lovely challenge, and in the wet GP2 qualifying Marciello performed an epic save to keep his car out of the wall. It isn't a consistent radius because of the shape of the buildings on the inside and when the rain falls, the road markings and zebra crossings become trecherous. 

On the exit of Massonet the track falls through Casino Square, over large bump which has been part of the circuit since the dawn of time - and one that hasn't been ironed out over the years. The day it is removed would be a sad sad day for the sport. Mirabeau is probably Rosberg's favourite corner after the events of qualifying one year ago in which the German claimed pole after bringing out the yellow flags. Even to this day no-one is completely certain it wasn't intentional. Mirabeau feeds into the incredibly slow Loews Hairpin - the home of Adrian Sutil's spate of brilliant passes. The hairpin was also the location of one the most important collisions of recent years - as Kevin Magnussen attempted a pass on Kimi Raikkonen. Both cars were considerably delayed allowing Jules Bianchi to those all important world championship points. On this weekend Jules' accomplishments will be at the forefront of everyone's thoughts as developing news out of the hospital in Nice indicates that it the family, friends and fans are waiting on a miracle. 

Schumacher vs Wurtz 1998

Each corner has a story to tell in Monaco - and Portier is no exception, it played host to an epic battle between Alex Wurtz and Schumacher where the Benetton driver refused to give up back in 1998. It also saw Maldonado in one of his more aggressive phases take a swipe at Sergio Perez in a free practice session. Of course the exit of portier is important as it leads into the fastest part of the lap - powering through the infamous tunnel and out onto the seafront for the nouvelle chicane. Which in reality isn't that new now but the name seems to have stuck. This chicane is probably the best overtaking spot, but it does require a lot of cooperation to make a pass stick. But before you decide to go for the pass picking a braking point is in itself a challenge - another one of Monaco's famous bumps can fire the car into the wall if you brake in just the wrong place. It has been smoothed over the years after some large accidents - the most recent involving Perez which preventing him from starting the race due to injury. But even though the bump is less of a problem - it still caught Roberto Mehri out in FP2 as the Manor was sent sliding down the barrier.

After the chicane we come to the final marina section, which has borne the brunt of the updates - spreading this season to Tabac which used to be marvellous. With the changes I'm not so sure, but having not really seen too much dry running this far I can't really make an educated call - it shouldn't be too different given how little has really changed, but until someone makes an rFactor model of it I'm just guessing. Get on that internet. After Tabac is the swimming pool section, the first part is magnificent a high speed chicane with no room for error. But as GP2 qualifying showed the curbs can be problem - Sorenson was launched on one of his laps after hitting them. Potentially this is more of an issue after the modification of Tabac changed the entry line and speed. The remainder of the lap remains as it has been since the last update. A slower second part of the swimming pool section brings the cars behind the pitlane. The Rascasse hairpin was the scene of another of Bianchi's triumphs last season as he made a decisive pass on Kamui Kobayashi. The lap is finished with a blast through Virage Antony Nogues where cars will slide right up to the barrier before driving to the line.

The Form Guide

Monaco is unique, very unique and therefore the lessons we have learned thus far in 2015 need not necessarily apply. Although there will be a lot of general similarities - we won't be expecting Manor to lock out the front row and deliver a lights to flag victory. Mercedes do look strong as usual in Thursday's practice sessions - because a car that good will work everywhere no matter how unique the layout. But the rest of the pack is interesting, because Monaco is not a power circuit by any stretch of the imagination Renault are not as hampered as they are everywhere else - and thus both Red Bull and Toro Rosso were up at the sharp end of the field. In FP1 Mad Max Verstappen was second fastest and all Renault powered cars were inside the top seven. 

While this may have no impact on Mercedes' weekend, Ferrari and Williams will find their part of the grid far more crowded than they are used to... the other losers in this may well be Lotus and Sauber - but more so Lotus. Because they could stand to lose a net four places due to Red Bull and Toro Rosso having a better chance this weekend. It could also bring McLaren into the equation because the Honda power deficit won't be as pronounced as it has been in previous events. This could be their greatest hope for points this far. 

The ultimate hope for this race is that there is a repeat of Thursday's rain which causes mayhem and carnage - through the mists of that mayhem Manor GP can score a point or two in honour of the man who scored here last season to guarantee their appearance on the grid in 2015. Monaco is a race of stories, and history, and it is time to write a new chapter.