F1 2009 Race 6 - Monaco

Monaco - Circuit Profile - F1 | ITV Sport


Without doubt the most iconic grand prix track in the world, the Monaco Grand Prix has been an institution on both the sporting and social calendars since its inception in 1929.

The claustrophobic layout of the barrier-lined harbourside street track presents a unique challenge to the drivers, who generally either love it or loathe it.

The first world championship race in 1950 set the tone – 10 cars were eliminated in a first-lap shunt.

Five years later Alberto Ascari made history by becoming the only driver to crash into the harbour.

In the 1960s Graham Hill became the acknowledged ‘master of Monaco’ when he took a total of five wins.

Ayrton Senna surpassed even that record by winning six times in seven years between 1987 and 1993.

Michael Schumacher would also become known as a Monaco specialist, taking five victories on the Principality's streets.

But he met his downfall in Monte Carlo in his final season, being sent to the back of grid for feigning an accident in a bid to obstruct Fernando Alonso’s charge for pole.

The track remains a thrilling throwback to the past, but gradually even Monaco’s face has been changed to bring it into line with more modern thinking.

A permanent pit garage complex was finally built in 2003, with the last few corners reprofiled (using land reclaimed from the ocean) to make room.

The first part of the swimming pool complex – a left-right blink of the eye at 130mph – remains one of the thrilling pieces of Tarmac on the F1 calendar, even if some of its teeth have been drawn now that the barriers have been moved back from the apex.

The slalom through Massenet and Casino Square and over the crest down to Mirabeau is surely one of the most spectacular places to witness a grand prix car at close quarters, while the Loews hairpin remains the photographers' favourite spot.

Monaco is a glorious anachronism – and long may it remain so.

Jenson Button has claimed pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, as the Englishman's fine run of 2009 performances continues. He is joined on the front row of the grid by Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen although Lewis Hamilton, both BMW and both Toyota cars were knocked out of the session in Q1 and start at the back of the grid.

Crowds were treated to another bright - if not expensive - afternoon in the principality as the sun shone down to create air temperatures of a pleasant 25°C (77°F). After morning practice in Monaco, a number of drivers had been tipped for pole with the McLaren and Ferrari teams hoping to deliver a number of knockout blows with improved cars.

Both teams took knocks early on, however, as a scare for Felipe Massa came when the Brazilian lost control of the Ferrari and hit the barrier on the inside of Turn 15; with Massa hitting the same piece of armco on the exit of the swimming pool section as team-mate Räikkönen two years ago, the Brazilian immediately returned to the pits for a new nose cone with time aplenty to spare.

Lewis Hamilton had been hoping for and expected a strong performance on the less aerodynamic-reliant street circuit, although bitter disappointment came for the World Champion as he lost control of the back of the McLaren and smacked the barrier at Mirabeau; the highs of Monaco 2008 must now seem an age away for Lewis, who starts 16th after making an unforced error.

Huge surprise comes in the form of both BMW and Toyota cars filling the back two rows of the grid, as a lack of pace for the former was coupled with bad timing and traffic problems for the latter which leaves Trulli - who took pole two races ago - at the back with team-mate Glock.

The Force India team impressed with both cars reaching Q2; Fisichella may have had two times deleted for crossing the Nouvelle and Swimming Pool chicanes but still wound up 13th, two places ahead of team-mate Sutil. Toro Rosso drivers Buemi and Bourdais were also eliminated in the second phase of the hour, with 11th and 14th positions respectively and the Swiss driver the quicker of the pair once again. Nelson Piquet both clipped a barrier and suffered from a final corner spin on his way to 12th in the Renault.

Heading into the final top ten shootout were two cars for Brawn, Red Bull, Williams and Ferrari as well as Fernando Alonso's Renault and the sole remaining McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen; the Finn completed a strong lap to qualify seventh on the grid ahead of Webber, with Alonso and Kazuki Nakajima rounding out the tenth row in a session where all ten cars carried starting fuel loads ahead of the race.

Nico Rosberg looked almost certain for a top three spot before a spurt from the five men in front relegated the German, a local man in Monaco, to sixth behind Massa. Sebastian Vettel was the leading Red Bull car in fourth position although Rubens Barrichello, who has appeared to once again have the edge on his Brawn team-mate through practice, starts third and possibly with a heavier fuel load.

Button final's lap of 1.14.902 may have missed Michael Schumacher's 2004 track record by almost half a second but was enough to claim pole number four from six races so far this season. Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari makes a welcome return to the front row of the grid in a radically improved car, although the revealing by the FIA of driver fuel loads later on this afternoon will provide an accurate reading into the extent of that performance leap.

The Monaco Grand Prix is forecast to be taking place in sunshine although, with the Ferraris back on the pace and three potentially quick cars coming from the back of the field, the race promises to be the best of the season so far.

Starting grid tomorrow:

1 J. Button Brawn GP
2 K. Räikkönen Ferrari
3 R. Barrichello Brawn GP
4 S. Vettel Red Bull
5 F. Massa Ferrari
6 N. Rosberg Williams
7 H. Kovalainen McLaren
8 M. Webber Red Bull
9 F. Alonso Renault
10 K. Nakajima Williams

11 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso
12 N. Piquet jr. Renault
13 G. Fisichella Force India F1
14 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso
15 A. Sutil Force India F1

16 L. Hamilton McLaren
17 N. Heidfeld BMW
18 R. Kubica BMW
19 J. Trulli Toyota
20 T. Glock Toyota

Nice to see Sutil and Fisichella in the 3rd quarter..

Great race.. the brawns ran off with the race again but ferrari finished a solid 3rd and 4th. would have been better if not for kimis bungled pitstop

Yeah.. Kimi's pit stop was almost a disaster.. What happened to the Ferrari pit stop of yesteryears..???
BTW, nice to see Fisi finish on 9th.. Would have been better had he finished on 8th..!