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2008 Grand Prix de Monaco
Team Quotes - Sunday 25 May
Six points for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro at the end of the Monaco Grand Prix, all picked up by Felipe Massa, who made it to the third step of the podium. Kimi Raikkonen finished ninth. With this result, the Scuderia maintains its lead in the Constructors' Championship while its drivers are in second and third in the Drivers' three and four points behind the leader for Kimi and Felipe respectively.
Stefano Domenicali: Yesterday, after a great qualifying, it was easy for us to act like prophets foreseeing a possible lottery for today's race, given the weather forecast. We cannot deny we are disappointed with this definitely negative outcome, the result of a combination of errors on our part and bad luck. We got off on the wrong foot, with an infringement of the rules in preparing Kimi's car on the grid, minutes before the start, which resulted in a drive through penalty for the driver. Then we decided to switch our strategy, going for a one-stop race, on the basis that we expected the rain to return and this did not happen. With hindsight is it easy to say we should have made different choices, but the reality is that, at every level, we did not meet our usual high standards. After this long preamble, the overall picture at the end of the first third of the season is still a positive one. We have taken four wins and the same number of poles from six races and we are still solidly in the lead of the Constructors' classification, with Kimi and Felipe still in the hunt for the lead in the Drivers.' Now we must look ahead and get as well prepared as possible for the Canadian Grand Prix. Here we showed we were capable of fighting for the lead and we want to do the same in Montreal, another track that did not suit us so well last year.
Luca Baldisserri: We are very disappointed with this result which is definitely below our level of expectation. We made mistakes which we have to look at to ensure we don't do the same again and we also made a few strategy choices, which all things considered turned out to be wrong even if it easy to be wise after the event. We must draw the right conclusions from this weekend, without colouring our judgement with emotion. We showed we were competitive on a track that traditionally has not suited us, but we did not work at our usual high standard. In less than a fortnight we will face a similar challenge in Montreal, where in 2007, we had problems. We really want to make up for today's disappointment.
Finishing second in the most prestigious Grand Prix of the year, Robert Kubica made sure he took part in the podium celebrations held in the principality's famous winners' lounge. It was the team's fourth podium this season and their eighth overall. Kubica's team mate, Nick Heidfeld, who has four podiums to his credit, had a black Sunday. Having started from 12th he had improved to fifth when Fernando Alonso (Renault) hit the side of his car on lap 14. In the end Heidfeld brought his damaged F1.08 to the chequered flag in 14th and last place.
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): We expected a drama here in Monaco and the Weather God gave it to us. It was essential to continuously adjust our race strategy according to the weather and the incidents on the track. With Robert this worked perfectly, so he was able to move up from fifth on the grid to second. Nick had an exceptionally good start and had fought his way through to fifth when his car was damaged in a collision. This dropped him out of the points. It was our fourth podium in 2008 and a strong performance from the team.
Willy Rampf (Technical Director): This was not a race for the nervous. The conditions at the start were very difficult. Because of the uncertainty over the weather it was crucial to make the right tyre decision for the first stint. Robert stayed cool and, even during the period with the worst visibility, he didn't make any mistake. We continuously had to adapt our strategy, so it was a true challenge for the engineers on the pit wall. Nick gained a lot of places after the start, and was doing well in the race in fifth when he was the victim of a crash and ended up at the back of the pack in a hopeless situation. After the fourth podium this year we are quite happy with the amount of points we have scored in the first third of the season.
It was a disappointing Monaco Grand Prix for the ING Renault F1 Team as Fernando Alonso finished in 10th and Nelson Piquet retired from the race.
The race was all about the weather with rain showers hitting the circuit just before the start. Fernando started on wet weather tyres and Nelson went with the extreme wet. Fernando soon joined Nelson on extreme wets after some eventful opening laps.
As the track dried out both drivers suffered with poor grip and were forced to switch to dry tyres early. It was soon after this that Nelson retired from the race as the Brazilian collided with the barriers at Sainte Devote. Fernando remained on track and showed good pace in the closing stages, recovering to tenth, outside the points.
It was therefore a case of unrealised potential today, but the team will regroup and put all its efforts into bouncing back at the next race in Montreal in two weeks time.
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director ING Renault F1 Team: This was a missed opportunity, which is all the more frustrating because we were competitive today. Fernando drove an aggressive race, but after his off it was clear that he was too far behind to finish in the points. Nelson's race was disappointing, but Monaco remains a difficult test for a driver and it is a very unusual circuit. From here we now concentrate on the next race in Canada.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: Setting the third fastest lap in the race reinforces the progress that we have made, even on this very different type of circuit, but that is all we take away from Monaco. It's been a difficult weekend, which ended in a difficult race where we did not realise our potential.
Challenging weather conditions produced the most dramatic race of the season in Monaco today as the damp streets of Monte Carlo claimed numerous victims in the 78 lap Grand Prix. Kazuki Nakajima drove a mature race in difficult circumstances to collect two points for seventh place. Nico Rosberg, meanwhile, endured a disappointing end to his Grand Prix. Despite fighting his way back through the field following two collisions in the opening stages, a third eventually put an end to his efforts 18 laps before the chequered flag. As a precaution, Nico was taken to hospital for routine checks.
Sam Michael, Technical Director: It was good to get two points, but not a satisfactory race as we should have scored much more, but there are probably plenty of teams saying that today! Kazuki drove well and didn't make any mistakes. He would have finished higher up the order, but we had a problem with a wheel nut on his final pit-stop and he lost places as a result. It was a good effort for his first time around Monaco in a Formula One car. Nico made a couple of pit-stops for damaged front wings, and then had a crash on the entry to the swimming pool. He has been very fast around here all weekend so he will be really frustrated to come away with nothing. He's currently undergoing medical checks. We’ll now look forward to a better result in Canada.
Christian Horner: A great race from Mark today. He was one of the few drivers who didn't put a wheel wrong throughout the two hour long race. Unfortunately our cross-over strategy to go onto slick tyres was about five or six laps too early, which allowed Raikkonen and Sutil, who had the benefit of going several laps longer, to just sneak ahead. But Mark kept it all together and benefited from Kimi's accident to finish a well deserved fourth. It's a great result for him and the team. David's weekend got off to a bad start and finished in very much the same way. Nothing much has gone right for him this weekend, but I'm sure he'll bounce back in Canada.
Fabrice Lom, Renault Principal Engineer, Track Support: We are very happy with this result, it's very good for the team. It's a shame for David, but it was so difficult to stay on the track at the start. Engine-wise, it's difficult on this track and with the new regulations to keep the power down, so it's more a question of keeping the power down than having the power here. I think we showed that the drivability of the Renault engine is not so bad, we are there.
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal: "If we had kept up the performance we had shown in qualifying we would have scored some good points. Instead it was a very difficult day. Both drivers made good starts and they were in good shape for the race early on. But then Timo did some spins which we were not expecting. Jarno also struggled for pace on the extreme wet tyres while the track dried and other cars made up ground. The drivers lacked confidence with the car here while our tyre change strategy was not suited for the weather we faced today. So the race went against us in all possible areas and we have a lot to analyse. Now we must keep pushing to do better in Canada."
Franz Tost: Fifth place, four points, a new car and all at Monaco- fantastic! It was an exciting race and Vettel did an incredible job, especially at the beginning with these exceptionally difficult circumstances when he had a new car totally under control. Later, when he changed onto the dry tyres, he was one of the fastest on track. Doing this on his first appearance in Monaco in an F1 car and with the new car is really a fantastic performance. The team did a good job with the new car, especially as it did not look so good after Thursday, but over the next two days, the car was given a completely new set-up, so congratulations to the engineers and everyone in the team for doing a fantastic job. As for Bourdais, he lost control of the car as he had to lift off a bit when Coulthard crashed. But there are plenty more races this year for him to show what he can do.
The Honda Racing F1 Team added three points to its World Championship tally this afternoon when Rubens Barrichello finished sixth in the Monaco Grand Prix. His team-mate Jenson Button came home in 11th place.
In a very eventful race from start-to-finish, Jenson's hopes of a points finish were unfortunately dashed towards the end of the opening lap when he collided with Nick Heidfeld on the exit of the Swimming Pool. He pitted immediately to replace his front wing, but rejoined the race in 20th and last position.
Rubens was running in 11th place during the early part of the race. The Safety Car was then deployed on lap eight for the first time when Coulthard and Bourdais crashed at Massanet. The debris was cleared quickly and the race re-started, and by lap 16 Rubens was into the points.
In the middle part of the race, Rubens set the fastest time on two consecutive laps and was up to sixth place by lap 51. He made his only pitstop late in the race on lap 54, when he fitted dry tyres and rejoined the race in eighth position. Rubens moved up to sixth place when Raikkonen and Sutil collided on lap 61.
A race of mixed fortunes but three more points for Rubens is another good step forward?
Ross Brawn, Team Principal: "Today's race was full of incident and attrition with Rubens doing a splendid job to keep clear of all the trouble and drive a very disciplined race into sixth place. Jenson's race had a setback when he collided with Heidfeld towards the end of the first lap, and as the race evolved, there was no opportunity for him to get back into the points despite showing great speed at times. It is satisfying to score points once again and our pace this weekend deserved it."
Sum up the weekend and what lies ahead for Honda.
RB: "We had a relatively incident free weekend which is always welcome at Monaco and set the stage for a good performance. Throughout practice we made good progress with the car and were competitive in all conditions. The disappointment was obviously qualifying where neither car made the top ten because of the yellow flags which resulted from Coulthard's accident. The wet race provided the drama we needed to get a car into the points and we are thankful for that. We now move on to Montreal which is a very different type of racetrack. We will have a new low downforce package and a number of new parts therefore we look forward to improving the car a little further.
A spectacular performance from Adrian Sutil in today's Monaco Grand Prix so nearly yielded the Force India Formula One Team's first-ever points in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Keeping his cool in the changeable wet-dry conditions put Adrian into an unprecedented fourth position in the closing stages of the race, but it was not to be as, following a restart after a safety car period - tragically on lap 67 of the 78 lap race - Adrian was hit from behind by Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn ran into the VJM01 that had kept him at bay for so long, puncturing the rear tyre and damaging the rear suspension. Adrian returned to the pits to retire from his finest race performance to date.
It was also a case of what might have been for team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella. Starting his 200th Grand Prix this weekend, Giancarlo also kept clear of the melee of crashes, traffic and safety car periods in front, but problems with his gearbox throughout the race led to his premature retirement on lap 36. The Italian had similarly been putting in some good laps, setting the eighth quickest lap time until his stop, but was obliged to retire when he could no longer select fourth gear.
With renewed confidence Force India will be back in action in the Canadian Grand Prix in two weeks time.
Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer: I suppose sport has its highs and lows and unfortunately today Force India felt both of them. Giancarlo had a difficult day in his 200th race; soon into the race he lost first and second gear and, very impressively, drove for around 30 laps without them. He then lost fourth and we had no choice but to retire him. Adrian fast made up places in the race and with our one stop strategy we were able to keep him out and he could stop when it was dry. When the safety car came out we were comfortable and under control until Raikkonen lost it and went into the back of Adrian and broke his rear suspension. But that is life and I am sure that if we did it once, we can do it again.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director: It was the saddest moment of my Motor Sports career. To achieve a top five position in Formula One and that too in Monaco was a dream that ended just seven minutes and less than five laps from the chequered flag with Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari running into the rear of Sutil's car. Adrian Sutil drove a brilliant race, exhibited superlative car control in wet and slippery conditions and proved conclusively to the World that he is an exceptionally talented driver. All members of the Force India Formula One team came together and executed a brilliant race strategy and car set up. We have demonstrated that we are a much improved and competitive team now and we certainly had an opportunity to score championship points today. Giancarlo Fisichella has been troubled with gearbox problems all this weekend and lost three gears during the race despite which he was achieving quick lap times. We retired him from the race so as to avoid further damage. This performance in Monaco has given a huge boost to the confidence of the team and our drivers. Though we are sadly disappointed we will take away many positives and renew our determination to demonstrate further improvement over the rest of the season.
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Monaco Grand Prix and took the lead in the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship. After 76 turbulent laps (253.840 kms) in changeable weather conditions and with two Safety Car periods, he took the chequered flag 3 seconds ahead of Robert Kubica and 4.8 seconds ahead of Felipe Massa. Lewis' team mate Heikki Kovalainen came home eighth after he had stalled his car at the beginning of the formation lap and had to start from the pit lane behind the field. It is Lewis' sixth Grand Prix victory and the second of the season after Australia. For McLaren it is the 15th victory in Monaco, and the sixth for the McLaren Mercedes partnership within 11 Grands Prix since Mika Häkkinen won in 1998. Lewis had to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap six (8.3 seconds) after he damaged his tyre hitting the barrier at the Tabac corner. The team consequently changed his strategy, and he made his refuelling stop on lap 54 (7 seconds). Heikki pitted on laps 34 (10.0 seconds) and 49 (7.4 seconds). After the sixth of 18 Grands Prix, Lewis took the lead in the drivers' ranking with 38 points ahead of Kimi Räikkönen who was ninth today. Heikki is sixth overall with 15 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes moved up to second with 53 points; Ferrari leads with 69 points.
Ron Dennis: "Today was a great day - and a fantastic team performance. Our guys instigated a brilliant strategy change, under pressure, after Lewis touched the Tabac barrier and damaged his right rear tyre early in the race. Had Heikki not had a problem on the grid, we would have had the pace for a 1-2 finish. That was a disappointment for him and us, but he drove a fantastic race thereafter and his time will surely come. Lewis's sensational win has taken him back to the lead of the Drivers' World Championship - and we now go to Montreal, scene of his first grand prix win 12 months ago, in a strong position to continue our challenge for the Championships. A great victory for the team and all of our Partners."
Norbert Haug: "Lewis was sensational and his performance was just terrific. We had the best strategy, the best speed and certainly a little luck as well. For me, this sixth victory in Monaco for McLaren and Mercedes and 54th in total together with McLaren is our greatest so far. Sorry for Heikki, without his problem in selecting first gear at the start of the formation lap he would have been a very strong contender for a podium finish - at least he scored one point. A big thank you to the whole team who worked so hard and to all our partners, particularly Vodafone for all their support. The fight for the championship is wide open, and we certainly want to go for it."
Lewis Hamilton has won the sixth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship from third place on the grid after starting his race with Bridgestone's wet weather tyre, staying on this tyre after a unscheduled pitstop following contact with the barriers, and finishing his race on Bridgestone's soft compound dry grooved tyre in the Monaco Grand Prix.
It was an exciting and epic battle on the streets of Monte Carlo, with competitors facing the challenge of variable weather conditions as well as their rival drivers. Rain showers visited the circuit on several occasions and there were two periods behind the safety car during the race, which was stopped after the two hour racing limit was reached, two laps short of the scheduled 78 lap race distance.
All of Bridgestone's tyres were used in this race, with the wet and extreme wet, soft and super soft all seeing action. This was the first time that Bridgestone's modified super soft compound dry tyre was used in a race, and the first time this season that the softer compound wet tyre was used.
Hamilton finished the race three seconds ahead of BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Robert Kubica whilst Felipe Massa finished a further 1.7 seconds down in third. Mark Webber finished in fourth place, Sebastian Vettel finished fifth. In sixth position was Rubens Barrichello, seventh was Kazuki Nakajima and Heikki Kovalainen scored the final drivers' point with eighth position.
Given the difficult conditions, there were numerous incidents in the race. There were no reported tyre problems. The race's fastest lap was set by Kimi Raikkonen on lap 74, using the super soft compound dry tyre.
Leaving Monaco, Hamilton now leads the drivers' championship with 38 points, ahead of Raikkonen on 35. Massa is in third place with 34 points. Ferrari continue to lead the constructors' championship with 69 points, whilst McLaren Mercedes move into second place with 53 points. BMW Sauber are in third place with 52 points.
Formula One will next be in action June 6-8 with the Grand Prix du Canada at Montreal, where Bridgestone's soft and super soft compound Potenza tyres will once more be used.
Hirohide Hamashima - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development: Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for winning a difficult race. Hamilton had good patience in trying conditions and he showed strong pace on both a wet and dry track. We gained data from running with all our weather range of tyres today and each tyre worked well when used in the correct conditions and we are very happy with performance. Of course, drivers were not always on the correct tyre in the changing conditions and this made for an exciting race. Because of the weather conditions the track surface never rubbered up enough for the new super soft compound to really be put through its paces, but this should happen in Montreal.
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