A 2

Figured I'd get this started as we are in one of those back to back race weekends. We all know this is the jewel in the crown, <insert superlative here>, but what is at the top of my mind is whether the choice of tire (Soft & Super Soft) will have an impact on the other teams catching up to RedBull. Ferrari lost ground to the other cars in Catalunya once they moved to the hard tires, but what with the softer tires and the tighter circuit, and the expected safety car periods, will the drama be much higher than seasons past?

Lets get the ball rolling as we look forward to THURSDAY PRACTICE (No running on Friday)

SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEKEND:

Thu 26 May 2011Practice 104:00 - 05:30Practice 208:00 - 09:30Sat 28 May 2011Practice 305:00 - 06:00Qualifying08:00Sun 29 May 2011Race08:00


Circuit information
Length: 3.34km
Race distance: 78 laps / 260.520km

Full throttle: 42%
Top speed: 286kph
Longest flat-out section: 8s / 510m
Right/left-hand turns: 12/7

Tyre wear: Medium
Brake wear: High
Downforce level: Very high
Gear changes per lap: 54

Tyres

2010 tyre compounds: medium (prime, no marking), super-soft (option, green markings)
2009 tyre compounds: soft (prime, no marking), super-soft (option, green markings)
2008 tyre compounds: soft (prime, no marking), super-soft (option, white markings)

Fuel use per lap: 1.723kg (source: Williams)
Pit lane time loss: 17.8s

A 2

I voted for Fernando Alonso. I think the selection of tire compounds and his experience will work in his favor.

I also expect McLaren's and Ferrari's to match the RedBull's in terms of speed and I think DRS wont have as much of an effect. It was amazing watching how much more speed Vettel was carrying through the corners than Lewis during the last race. Monaco is a high downforce track, so maybe the RedBulls will still keep their advantage.

Will also be very interesting to see how qualifying plays out. As they will be using the soft & supersoft will teams just set a lap and come back and sit in the garage. Will any other team look to repeat what Mercedes and Schumacher did in Q3 in Spain?


Pirelli thinks a 2-stop race is very feasible. Hmm...
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91691

A 2

Interesting opinion from Andrew Benson of the BBC on Whether F1 has become too much of spectacle?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewben...g_too_eas.html

Quote:

But far more telling is the behaviour of the audience during the race. In the past, there would usually be a peak at the start, a significant dip in the middle, another peak at a moment of high excitement - a crash, a pit stop etc - another dip and a peak at the end.

This year, though, the audience has started higher than before - and stayed there throughout the race. People dare not switch off for fear of missing something. Far from the races being too confusing - as some newspapers have said - they are proving to be gripping from beginning to end.

I'll leave the final word to Jenson Button. He was asked if F1 had veered too far towards 'showbiz'.

"There are more positives than negatives," he said. "Of course it's a show; that's what any sport is. We need viewers to exist and the viewers have gone through the roof supposedly. I don't think we've done anything wrong. We've definitely gone in the right direction."

ytdlite

so the new or returning viewers are interested in seeing what? pit stops, drivers trying to race on crappy tires, crashes. i like the line about " proving to be gripping from beginning to end" because the tires only grip for 3 laps.

ytdlite

kk for the win, after the front runners crash themselves out. if he makes it to the checkers and in the points, i'll be happy.

A 2

^ pretty sure KK will do well. He has turned into the kind of driver that is consistent and that any team would be glad to have. The best out of Japan so far IMHO, and way better than Suck-on Yamamoto

ytdlite

yeah but can he tunnel crash or lay down a smoke screen like sato did in two different monaco gps? and i liked sato when driving for bar. i'll state once again i'm a red car fan even as painful as past and this season maybe and also not a huge massa fan. but i usally pick-up on a second driver/team to root for and i really like the sauber team this and past seasons. doesn't hurt to have a slightly under powered ferrari engine or a rich mexican backer ether.

ytdlite

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/496543887?-2724 then and now

8_ball

Agree on red bull's ability to brake later going in and then put down more power coming out of the corners. It will also be interesting to see how quickly the dirty line gets really dirty, no where for the clag to go on this course. I love this race, sort of like the circus coming to a city that is already a circus. But those clowns need to keep their clown trucks from catching on fire.

C U AT 9K

Lemme grab the keys to my yacht, and we're headed to Monaco! Should be an exciting weekend.