Monaco GP 2011 - Monte Carlo

[feni_remmen]

This is very straight forward. As has been said by many, if Lewis didn't set a time in Q3, he can do as he pleases with tires. It immediately occurred to me and undoubtedly everyone in the pit-lane. People need to accept that the penalty for skipping a chicane is having that lap deleted from the records. It's as if he didn't try to set a time. If he did another lap-time in Q3, then that lap and those tires are the ones he must use.

[Byronrhys]

I don't think Lewis will risk going on the softs , it would be horrible if the William's Renault and Sauber were on the same pace as him and held him up as they seem to be easier on the tyres and might try a long stint on supersofts

[DaveKillens]

Hamilton had the potential to be a mover and shaker, but he made not only a mental mistake by adopting a strategy riskier than the others, but then a driving mistake to wipe out whatever efforts were made in Q3. I like this talented young man, but he's got to get his head screwed on right for tomorrow. He will most likely do it, but today's dismal showing in qualifying does set him on his back foot.

IF he had been able to pull off his intended strategy of just one run in Q3, then he may have been in a position to contest the win tomorrow. I fail to comprehend how this setback could somehow place him closer to a win compared to his theoretical best in qualifying.

Now let's talk about the real news, and the real movers and shaker. Watching Monaco is always thrilling, and just the sight of those cars skidding and bouncing between the barriers at insane speeds just makes me shake my head in appreciation of the courage and skill of the drivers. Nothing compares.

Let's face it, Vettel put down an insane run, to once again dominate qualifying. I have to admit he's just amazing.

[Ciro Pabón]

Wonder boy, Dave. I loved the phrase he said: "it was a good day but I only won 8 meters for tomorrow".

After watching Pérez accident, I'm glad the DRS wasn't deployed in the tunnel.

When lack of DRS deployment was mentioned in one of the threads (this one?) I thought that the site was dangerous. The nose of the road divider, made of ARMCO, is too close to the trajectory. With a little more speed, the crushed blocks located in front of the steel wouldn't have been enough for Checo to escape relatively uninjured.

The severity of the lateral hit he received (I mean the first one, right after losing control, before sliding toward the barrier) shows how close you are to death at those speeds. Next time we have a thread on safety vs spectacle in circuits, I'm going to be even more hard headed...

Nobody commented that a wheel got loose. The idea of the new wheel restraints was to guarantee that this wouldn't happen. Back to the drawing board for FIA technical committee...

I was impressed by how crushed the wheel rims seemed to be. I wonder if this also needs some kind of regulation.

[Princey]

I am hoping Button can get into the first corner ahead, and then with an inevitable safety car at some point (based on the incidents so far this weekend) I think there is hope for Hamilton on the podium.

Any top ten 1 stop predictions? would a 1 stop work in the top 10 do you think? both tyres seem to be lasting but I could only see it working if you started on softs and ended on super softs after the track has rubbered in a lot.. which none of the top ten can do..

[djos]

Nobody commented that a wheel got loose. The idea of the new wheel restraints was to guarantee that this wouldn't happen. Back to the drawing board for FIA technical committee...

That's because it didn't, the tire came off the wheel but the wheel stayed attached to the car.

[Dragonfly]

I have to rewatch but IIRC the tire then went very near to his head if not knocking his helmet a bit.

[bidong]

Will Lewis be able to use new tyres off the start because he did not record a timed lap in Q3?

[doink]

I am hoping Button can get into the first corner ahead, and then with an inevitable safety car at some point (based on the incidents so far this weekend) I think there is hope for Hamilton on the podium.

Getting button ahead is key for this race, otherwise it'll be a sebfest!

[hollowBallistix]

I really don't think the race will be as clear cut as it has been in the past couple of years, especially with how the tyres are performing this year, there have been passes at Monaco before & I think there could be the best opportunity for a while.

Also, with the undercut regarding to pitstops, this could be a big cause for some movers & shakers !

[kalinka]

PM me until race start if you want a BBC live race stream.

[kalinka]

Pirelli guy says he doesn't espect a 3-stopper from anybody, but a 1stopper is very much possible...

[doink]

hahaha, this is one of Brundle's more amusing pit walks!

[andrew]

Who was he very rude to before he spoke to Jean Todt? I was looking away at the time but heard him having a bit of a mini-tantrum at someone.

[doink]

A photographer was trying to pull him out of the way so he could photograph Jean Todt.