For a while it looked as if, after a difficult qualifying, we were going to bring home at least one of our cars in the points in the Monaco Grand Prix, but the rain, or rather the lack of it, combined with some other situations, spoiled our plans. You might as well read what our two drivers and team principal had to say, as it gives you a very clear picture of how our race went.
“I had a good start after which I had to avoid an incident ahead of me but I was able to make up a couple of positions from that,” said Daniel Ricciard. “I was behind Di Resta who was running the Prime tyre on a different strategy to me on the Option. We had good pace and I tried to attack, but I couldn’t manage it. I tried to stay out as long as possible on the Option tyre but then I started to lose pace, so I came in for the Prime, hoping to run to the end of the race. I came out in clear air and got into a rhythm before ending up in a train behind Kovalainen and Button. I tried to pass the McLaren but it was not so easy. Then I clipped a kerb at Turn 15. At the time I did not feel anything, but one lap later the steering felt very loose so I came into the pits as the car was no longer safe to drive. Despite all that, from a driving point of view, I really enjoyed myself until my retirement.”
Jean-Eric got to the end of the 78 lap race, but the closing stages were agonising. “After the start, lots of cars in front of me cut the corner at the first turn and I found myself behind the Marussia and I was losing a lot of time,” began the Frenchman. “I was on a one stop strategy and to try and get me out of the traffic, we made an early stop. From then on, I ran at a very good pace, which I am happy about and I was as high as seventh. I was lapping quickly and consistently. But with around 14 laps to the end, my tyres were completely gone and I had to come in for the Intermediates, but the rain was not strong enough. It’s a real shame about the laps I lost in traffic at the start because without that I could have been comfortably in the points today. I am looking forward to Canada, as it’s a track I particularly like even if I have not been there and I will go there really hungry to get a good result.”
Our Team Principal outlined the strategic choices we made and how they turned out. “The heavier rain that finally arrived as Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber was on the podium celebrating a great win came too late to keep Jean-Eric in the points,” said Franz Tost. “Because he found himself towards the back of the field in the early stages after several cars got ahead of him on the opening lap by cutting the chicane, we brought him in early to switch to the Soft tyre with which he would go to the end of the race on a one stop strategy. Unfortunately, the tyres we fitted on lap 17 were therefore not in the best condition when some very light drizzle began to fall. As he had very little grip on the worn tyres, we brought him to fit the Intermediates on lap 71, but the rain which would have helped him fight for tenth place did not come soon enough. Rain, or the lack of it, also affected Daniel’s strategy. We kept him out late on the Supersoft in the hope we would call him in for rain tyres, but it did not happen and, as those around him picked up their pace, when he left the pits he therefore found himself at the back of that same group. In the end, we elected to retire his car in the pits after impact with a kerb appears to have damaged the steering.”
As for the front end, the win went to Red Bull’s Mark Webber, making the Australian the sixth winner in as many races this season. He took the chequered flag ahead of Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes and Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari. The Spaniard’s third place was enough to see him lead the Drivers’ classification, ahead of Sebastian Vettel who crossed the line one place behind him this afternoon. Amazingly, given it had seemed unlikely, not to say impossible come the start of the weekend, way back on Thursday, everyone opted for a one stop strategy, with the majority starting on the Supersoft Pirelli before switching to the Soft, so once again, the rubber held the key to much of the excitement. How much closer can this season get? Six winners now and the top six today pretty much finishing the race all covered by a handkerchief. Now we head for Canada – remember the four hour marathon race last year? Hopefully we won’t have to deal with that again, but the high speed but tight track should provide another great race. Any bets on a seventh driver taking his first win of the year?
Monaco Grand Prix – Rain on our parade
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Monaco Grand Prix – Rain on our parade