F1 – GP Monaco: THE POINT…..by Gian Carlo Minardi

MONTECARLO- Yesterday’s Gp in Monaco was really amazing. After 78 laps six cars crossed the line within just 6 seconds. This is one of the most intense and competitive Championships of the F1 history. The competition will be played till the end and placing will be decisive. After six races ( won by six different drivers ) we haven’t a leader yet.

78 laps have been run without making mistakes, under hard conditions and with different strategies. This is the case of Sebastian Vettel, who decided to start the race with soft tires, in opposition with the group. Grosjean made a hasty start. He has to pay more attention, because he has been making too many mistakes. What a pity for Lotus who has one car which is quite performing, even if the team has to change its strategy. Tires are making engineer’s job on track and their effort to determine car’s best stability, harder and harder. We’ve been noticing differences even between cars of the same team.
Webber, Rosberg and Alonso made a good job. The Spanish driver, with his third place, is the standing’s leader. Massa succeeded in getting back to Q3 and, during the race, he was next to the group. I think this result could be a good new lease on confidence. I think that the Brazilian driver still can give his contribution to Ferrari and help it getting up to the first three positions of the Championship. The two next races should go to Ferrari’s benefit. The keystone was in the 30th lap when Alonso, just before getting out for a pit stop, marked race’s best splits, going ahead of Hamilton. Congratulations to the mechanics, because it took only 3.7 seconds for him to make the job and congratulations also to Fernando who made a difference just in the crucial moment.
Unfortunately the GP missed two drivers who could have been the protagonists of the race, making the Gp even more inflamed: Maldonado and Schumacher. Having regard to his performances and feeling with the track, the Venezuelan driver could make a great recovery. The German driver, instead, was back to the pole after a long time, showing everybody he doesn’t give up. He made a very good job during qualifications.
I’m sorry for Vergne, who dearly paid the choice of changing tires at the 18th lap. Since the driver was in trouble with the race, his team decided to attempt a change, hoping for rain to fall. But it didn’t rain so hard. In the last 14 laps the car was equipped with unsuitable tyres and, even if the driver hadn’t stop, he would have been out of the top ten as well, providing the fact the group was very close-knit. He was handling a good race, so was doing his team mate. He is a driver we should keep an eye on for the rest of the season. He makes interesting times and grows up race by race. The strategies and mistakes the team can commit, together with the actions made to make up for mechanical lacks, have a strong influence on the French driver himself.
Gian Carlo Minardi