27/05/2012
NEWS STORY
Today's grid had already taken a bit of a reshuffle when pole-man Michael Schumacher was moved back to sixth for his clash with Bruno Senna in Spain, while Pastor Maldonado was hit for ten for a moment of madness in yesterday's free practice session.
Since then, the Venezuelan has lost further positions for changing his gearbox while Sergio Perez, the victim of the Williams driver's craziness yesterday, and who failed to post a time in Q1, has lost positions after he too changed his gearbox. Given permission to race, despite not having posted time, the Mexican was to start twenty-third after Maldonado's penalty however, now that he too has swapped gearboxes he goes back to twenty-fourth.
All off which means we have quite a jumbled grid, indeed, we have a grid which offers a number of mouth-watering scenarios, not least Maldonado and Perez starting side by side from the very back, behind the HRTs and Marussias.
With grip already a problem, there is the added spanner in the works courtesy of the fact that two of the three practice sessions were halted early, meaning that drivers were unable to carry out their traditional practice starts. At other tracks these can be done in the pitlane, but the geography here means that this is impossible.
Consequently, there are a number of people, including Pitpass' own Thomson Philips who believe that today's start could see a number of cars fall by the wayside - to be polite - before the field has got halfway up the hill. Add in the lack of grip at places such as Mirabeau and the entry to the Chicane and we have the promise of untold fun and games.
There is talk of most drivers one-stopping, though other believe this not to be an option. Then, as ever, there is the weather. While it is bright and sunny at present, there is talk of rain later this afternoon, though McLaren insists the race will be dry.
As we said yesterday, this being the home of the legendary Casino, it is only right and fitting that today's race, like yesterday's qualifying session, is as much of a lottery and gamble as pretty much everything else we've seen this year.
Schumacher on pole, who would have thunk it? And then there's Felipe Massa breathing down his teammate's neck, while Kimi Raikkonen - surely a contender for pole - starts from the fourth row behind Massa but ahead of Vettel. Fun and games all around.
Over the years, Monaco has thrown up many odd results, remember Jack Brabham's late mistake in 1970, Jean-Pierre Beltoise in 1972 and Riccardo Patrese ten years later, the year it looked as though nobody was going to finish.
Today's race could throw up something equally odd, be it Schumacher converting pole to a win - from sixth on the grid, Grosjean taking his maiden win or even a Caterham - moving further ad further up the grid thanks to all those penalties - finishing in the points.
Mark Webber, not known for his clean and speedy starts, inherits pole from Schumacher, with Rosberg, in the ever improving Mercedes, alongside, and Hamilton, keen to open his 2012 win account. And then there's Grosjean, Massa…
As if things were confused enough, an hour before the race is due to begin, it is revealed that a number of teams are unhappy at a 'hole' in the floor of the Red Bull, with suggestions that there could be an official protest at the end of the race. While Red Bull insists that there is no issue and that the FIA has given its approval, a number of teams, thought to include McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes, are said to be unhappy.
Facing the prospect of a protest, one option to Red Bull would be to change the 'hole' but this would mean both drivers having to start the race from the pitlane… that's assuming the work could be done in time.
In all honesty, to speculate further would be a waste of time, so let's just hope for a good race with not too much silliness and which justifies the tradition and surroundings here, even if, like down the road in Cannes, it has all become a bit tacky these days.
As a reminder, the tyres today are soft (prime) and supersoft (option), the primes expected to last for around 50 laps and the supersoft 35 laps, with a difference of about a second per lap between them.
The DRS activation zone is on the approach to Rascasse, with activation being at the start of the pit straight.
As the field prepares to head off on the warm-up lap, the air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. All but Vettel, Button, di Resta, Petrov and de la Rosa are on options.
They're away, and, as expected there's an incident. Webber gets away well as does Schumacher, however, the German is hit from behind by Grosjean sending the Frenchman into a spin.
At the end of la 1, Webber leads from Rosberg, Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Vettel, Raikkonen, Schumacher, Hulkenberg and Senna. De la Rosa and Kobayashi pit while Maldonado are out.
Replay shows Schumacher to be the victim after Alonso and Grosjean clash while Maldonado, de la Rosa and Kobayashi were all victims of the aftermath.
The Safety Car is deployed as marshals clear the track. Schumacher is told that his car is undamaged. Hamilton asks about his tyre pressures whilst also complaining about his poor (original) start.
At the restart, Hamilton is caught napping, the McLaren driver almost losing out to Alonso. Elsewhere, Petrov pits, the Russian taking on another set of primes..
After four laps, Webber leads by 0.7s the first eighteen cars each covered by gaps of less than a second. DRS is enabled.
Petrov (prime) posts a new fastest lap (21.603), but next time around Webber posts 21.323. Kobayashi makes his second stop of the afternoon, his crew checking for damage following the earlier incident.
As Webber posts another fastest lap (21.146), the stewards announce that they are investigating whether a number of drivers cut the first corner at the start of the race as they avoided the Grosjean incident.
Another fastest lap (20.969) sees Webber eek out a 1.3s lead over Rosberg. Hamilton remains third, ahead of Alonso, Massa, Vettel, Raikkonen and Schumacher. The German, showing no ill-effect of his earlier clash, goes quickest in S1.
Quite rightly, the stewards reveal that there will be no further action regarding cars cutting the first corner.
Further down the field, there's a little incident involving Perez and Vergne, the Frenchman 'illegally' gaining a place as he undercuts the Chicane.
On lap 13, Raikkonen is told that there "could be rain in fifteen laps", the Finn currently 0.7s down on Vettel with a similar gap to Schumacher behind. Elsewhere, Alonso is losing ground to Hamilton and actually holding up his own teammate. Meanwhile, Vergne has been instructed to hand sixteenth place back to Perez.
Will Alonso be told "he's quicker than you"? Perish the thought.
Schumacher showing massive commitment no thought to possible damage to his car following that (heavy) first corner crash.
After 16 laps, Button is told to switch to 'Plan B', while Rosberg complains that his rears are falling away. The German is now 2s down on race leader Webber.
At the end of lap 17, Petrov makes his second stop of the day, his crew check the car for damage before pushing it into its garage. Caterham reveals that an electrical issue has brought his race to an early end
As Vergne pits to change to the primes, Alonso posts a new fastest lap (19.348), Massa now 1.1s behind as Schumacher continues to harry Raikkonen.
Alonso continues to set a strong pace, just as the clouds gather and the temperatures drop. The Spaniard is now 1.3s down on Hamilton and almost 2s clear of Massa.
Schumacher is all over Raikkonen, the very man who replaced him at Ferrari. Elsewhere, Vettel makes a hash of the Chicane, the world champion having a lonely race in sixth position.
After 25 laps, more drivers complain that their tyres are going however, teams want to hold off because of the threat of rain. The forecasts of rain vary between four and ten minutes.
A train build up behind Raikkonen, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Senna, di Resta and Ricciardo all trailing behind him. "Kimi, we expecting rain in the next five laps, you need to stay out".
At the end of lap 27, Rosberg is the first of the front runners to pit, the Mercedes driver rejoining in sixth, 22.7s down on the leader.
Schumacher makes a move on Raikkonen at the Chicane but the Finn slams the door, Hulkenberg keeps a watching eye on the situation.
At the end of lap 28, Webber and Hamilton both pit as Force India tweets that it's raining… which it isn't. Raikkonen, Hulkenberg and Senna also pit.
Alonso now leads, posting the fastest S1 of the race. Massa is second, ahead of Vettel.
At the end of lap 30, Alonso pits, as does Kovalainen, while Schumacher posts PBs in all three sectors.
As Massa pits (lap 31), Alonso has passed Hamilton during the stops to take fourth. Massa rejoins in seventh just behind Schumacher, the Brazilian immediately locking up.
After 32 laps, Vettel leads but has yet to stop, Webber is second, ahead of Rosberg, Alonso, Hamilton, Schumacher, Massa, di Resta, Ricciardo and Button.
"Rain is soon as five minutes away," Vettel is told, "keep doing this". The German responds by posting a personal best lap time (19.578). Elsewhere, Raikkonen is losing time behind thirteenth placed) Pic.
On old prime tyres, Vettel is almost 2s a lap quicker than his rivals, many of whom are now on fresher primes.
Schumacher pits at the end of lap 34, rejoining in tenth, ahead of Vergne, Raikkonen the length of the pit straight behind. Perez has also pitted. Replay shows the Mexican causing all manner of problems as he pitted for Raikkonen, who, in the melee, is passed by Hulkenberg who takes twelfth.
Hulkenberg posts a new fastest lap, the twelfth placed Force India driver crossing the line at 18.423.
The stewards announce that they are investigating the Perez/Raikkonen incident.
Button makes his first stop at the end of lap 38, leaving Vettel as the only driver still to stop. The McLaren driver rejoins alongside (14th placed) Kovalainen, however, the Finn has the advantage.
At the end of lap 40, Perez serves a drive-through, his penalty for the Raikkonen pit incident. Elsewhere, Ricciardo pits from seventh.
"My tyres won't last for very long," moans Hamilton. The Englishman is currently fifth, 1.8s down on Alonso. Vettel still leads from Webber and Rosberg. Massa is sixth, ahead of Schumacher, Vergne, di Resta and Hulkenberg.
"You need to close up on Hamilton," Massa is told. Rob Smedley also advises his driver that when Vettel pits he could emerge ahead of the Brazilian.
Further misery for Perez as he out-brakes himself at the Chicane and is forced to hand the position back to Pic. We're talking about seventeenth. A nightmare race for Sauber.
At the end of lap 45, Vettel finally pits. 3.4s later he's heading down the pitlane rejoining just ahead of Hamilton, much to the McLaren driver's obvious frustration. Brilliant stop by Red Bull, fully complimenting a brilliant performance by the world champion.
So, after 47 laps, it's: Webber, Rosberg, Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Massa, Schumacher, Vergne, di Resta and Hulkenberg.
"The rain has disappeared," Raikkonen is told, "there will be no rain, so you need to go right to the end". Elsewhere, Perez posts a new fastest lap (18.085).
A massive lock up for Schumacher at the Chicane as Vettel is told that the leaders made their primes last for 29 laps. The German has a further 29 laps to go.
Behind the leading ten, it's: Raikkonen, Senna, Kovalainen, Button, Ricciardo, Glock, Perez, Pic and Karthikeyan.
Massa is told to keep his tyres fresh, Ferrari looking to make a late attack on Hamilton.
Replay shows a piece of front wing endplate ripped from Glock's Marussia as it rides the kerbs at the Swimming Pool. Elsewhere, a massive lock-up for Webber.
Hamilton is told about the message given to Massa, the McLaren driver responding that he too will conserve his tyres. With Button down in fourteenth, Hamilton is the Woking outfit's only hope of serious points this afternoon.
"I have a problem with the car, I don't know what it is," says Schumacher. The German is told to keep pushing as it "may clear". The German is now 18.6s down on Massa who is all over Hamilton. Elsewhere, Button is still unable to get past Kovalainen and is under pressure from Ricciardo and Perez.
As Schumacher eases off, Vergne sweep by to take seventh. The Mercedes driver appears doomed.
On lap 62, Webber is informed that there are a few spots (of rain) at Mirabeau.
Schumacher's misery continues, the German now passed by di Resta with teammate Hulkenberg closing in.
Out front, as a few umbrella are raised, Rosberg closes to within 0.9s of Webber.
Schumacher pits at the end of lap 64, his race over. A sad end to a weekend which promised so much.
As Rosberg pursues Webber, and the skies darken, Button takes to the kerbs at the entry to the Chicane in his eagerness to pass Kovalainen. Pic stops in S2.
Ricciardo pits at the end of lap 67, Toro Rosso now relying solely on Vergne as the Australian climbs from his car.
Hamilton is advised that Webber is slowing and that the field is bunching up. Indeed, the leading six - Webber, Rosberg, Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton and Massa - are covered by just 3.6s. A problem for Webber or is he merely being cautious in view of tyre wear and the weather.
At the end of lap 70, Vergne makes his second stop, the Frenchman taking on a pair of inters. A massive gamble from Toro Rosso.
Leading a train covered by 3.1s, Webber closes in on thirteenth placed Perez.
Elsewhere, Button's race is over after a clash with Kovalainen at the Swimming Pool. The Finn is left with a badly damaged front wing which is sure to attract the attention of the stewards.
An earlier clash (clashes?) with Perez means that the Mexican and Kovalainen are now under investigation as things get a little silly.
Hamilton, 0.9s down on Alonso, is told to turn his engine revs up. Elsewhere, Kovalainen pits.
Hamilton is told that heavier rain near the end of the race - 3 laps away - could lead to opportunities.
Despite the threat there's no rain and no serious challenge to Webber's lead, the Australian holding off the five car train behind him. He crosses the line 0.643s ahead of Alonso, the leading six covered by 6.1s.
All in all an excellent performance from Webber who thoroughly deserves the win never once putting a wheel wrong.
On the other hand, despite the promise, not the most thrilling of races, though at least, in terms of the lottery situation, we get our sixth different winner of 2012.
Fine performances from Rosberg and Alonso also, and while Vettel's clever strategy didn't pay off, Hamilton had to work hard to save McLaren's blushes.
Both Force Indias finish in the points, for the second time this season, while Raikkonen will rue a day that promised so much but delivered so very little.
Jean-Eric Vergne will rue the decision to switch to inters, while Schumacher will be wondering where it all went wrong.
Commiserations to Kovalainen who definitely has to be in there with a shot at 'man of the race', for most of the afternoon the Finn looking good to score Caterham's first ever Grand Prix points.
As the Champagne is sprayed the rain begins to fall in earnest, this afternoon the weather gods appear to have looked kindly on Webber even if the rest of us would have enjoyed some added spice.
Then again, talking of added spice, lets not forget all that pre-race talk of protests.
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