27/05/2007
NEWS STORY
McLaren Mercedes driver Fernando Alonso has scored his second win on Bridgestone Potenza tyres, leading team-mate Lewis Hamilton across the line at Monte Carlo for the Monaco Grand Prix in a race which saw a wide range of tyre usage strategies.
Alonso started the race from his first Bridgestone-shod pole position and demonstrated the class of a double world champion, setting the fastest race lap on way to his 17th career win, although he was pushed hard in the later stages of the race by team-mate Hamilton, who finished four seconds behind.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa finished in third, over a minute behind the McLaren Mercedes duo. Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella took fourth with the BMW Sauber pairing of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld taking fifth and sixth respectively. In seventh place was Alex Wurz (Williams Toyota) whilst Kimi Raikkonen took the final point for Ferrari. Alonso's win was McLaren's 150th.
Both one and two stop tyre strategies were used by those who finished in the top five demonstrating the durability of Bridgestone's soft and super soft tyres. Also seen today was a greater variety than seen in previous races of tyre compound strategies.
The drivers' championship now has Alonso and Hamilton tied on points with 38 apiece with Massa in third place with 33. The constructors' championship has McLaren Mercedes ahead of Ferrari with 76 points compared with 56. BMW Sauber sits in third with 30 points. Formula One action resumes in two weeks' time with the Grand Prix du Canada at Montreal on June 10th.
Kees van de Grint, Bridgestone Motorsport Head of Track Engineering Operations: Today I think it is fair to say that McLaren Mercedes dominated in Monte Carlo on Bridgestone tyres. Both the soft and super soft compound Potenzas performed as expected and we could clearly see an improvement in the usability of the super soft as the track had rubbered-in. Both tyres were capable of any strategy and it was interesting to see the different approaches of many drivers with one or two stops and using the compounds in different orders. Seven out of the top eight drivers and three out of the top five chassis did not race on Bridgestone tyres last season, clearly illustrating our tyres can be used to points scoring effect no matter whose tyres were used previously.
To check out our Monaco Grand Prix gallery, click here